The wild vast ocean is the home to majority of life on earth and the marine plants and algae residing in it are responsible for about 70-80% of the total oxygen content in the atmosphere.
Plastic pollution is thus, one of gravest type of harms these oceans are pushed to succumb to. As the source is durable, inexpensive and easily moldable, its production and consumption is very high. However, most plastics are non-biodegradable and some very slow in decomposition indicating their sustenance in the environment for a long time hampering lands, fresh water bodies and marine vessels. In 2018, it was found that around 380 million tonnes of plastics were produced and the amount has been increasing since the 1950s each year and if this situation continues to grow progressively then the oceans would be a home to plastics and not fishes.
It was only in the twentieth century that marine pollution laws and policies were enacted universally. The Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 were signed to control dumping in oceans and then in 1938, the MARPOL 73/78 treaty was enforced by the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships to stop oil spilling in the oceans. United Nation for the very first time established the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1982 to protect the marine environment by putting restrictions on release of toxins and pollutants into the oceans.
The Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ released a latest analysis on 23rd July, 2020 through a report “Breaking the Plastic Wave: A Comprehensive Assessment of Pathways Towards Stopping Ocean Plastic Pollution” on plastic flow into the oceans publishing that without any immediate and sustained action towards control of annual plastic flow into the oceans would lead to its triple volume by 2040. But, the silver lining of this study is that it even states the ways of cutting down the volume to 80% with the help of today’s technologies. The scientific analysis divulges that if the rate of plastic release is not controlled now then there will be rise from 11 million metric tonnes to 29 million metric tonnes in the next 20 years because plastics thrive in oceans for years and may not even biodegrade posing a threat to blue whales and other endangered species.
The ongoing pandemic has added extra hurdles on this aspect as the consumption of one-time use plastic equipments and assortments have increased manifold, says the International Solid Waste Association.
The analysis report had set its head start in 2018 and disclosed that with all the government approved global plastic control schemes and undertakings; there will be a mere reduction of just 7% in annual plastic flow into the ocean.
So, the solutions put forwarded by the experts and scientist through the Pew report are
Reduction of plastic production and consumption
Use of substitutes like paper and other biodegradable materials
Recyclable product designing and packaging
Increasing waste collection rates in middle and low income countries
Extensive recycling
Decreasing plastic waste exports
These remedies are applicable to the challenging problem of Ocean Plastic Pollution and its implementation will make a better future with cleaner environment, greater health benefits and job opportunities.
N.B. Be a part of the solution and not the problem, do something drastic and now cut plastic!
Image Courtesy : ocean pollution
Add Comment