Plastic is the most prevalent type of marine debris in our oceans. It includes a range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials containing polymers.
Plastics gained popularity because of their flexibility and convenience. They were thought to solve the waste problem because they are recyclable and reusable.
However, while plastics are recyclable, only about 9% of plastic waste is recycled correctly. The rest of the unrecycled plastic is in landfills, oceans, rivers, or other places.
The following will highlight and tell you everything you need to know about plastic pollution in the ocean.
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What is Plastic Pollution?
Plastic pollution is the accumulation of synthetic plastic products in the natural environment (e.g., ocean, land, or other waterways).
Plastic pollution can harm wildlife, plants, humans, and the environment. It often kills plant life, poses dangers to nature, and impacts habitats and ecosystems.
Scientists first identified plastic pollution in the ocean in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Since then, plastic pollution has grown in scale and become one of the most pressing environmental issues.
15 Facts You Need to Know About Plastic Pollution
- 80% of plastic in the ocean is estimated to come from land-based sources, while the remaining 20% comes from boats and other marine sources.
- About 70% of marine debris sinks to the bottom of the ocean.
- At least 8 million tons of plastic end up in the sea every year, equivalent to setting five garbage bags full of trash on every foot of the coastline worldwide.
- Plastic pollution covers 80% of all marine debris from surface waters to deep-sea sediments.
- Half of all manufactured plastics have been produced in the last 15 years.
- Over 99% of plastics are produced from chemicals derived from oil, natural gas, and coal (non-renewable resources).
- By 2050, the plastic industry could account for 20% of the world’s total oil consumption.
- Plastics contain additives that make them strong, flexible, and durable. These additives can extend the life of the product and can take over 400 years to break down.
- In 2014, it was estimated that at least 5.25 trillion individual plastic particles (269,000 tons) were floating on or near the surface.
- A 2021 study determined that bags, bottles, and items associated with takeout meals comprised 44% of plastic debris in rivers, oceans, and shorelines.
- Only 9% of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled, 12% has been incinerated, and the remaining 79% ended up in landfills, dumps, or the natural environment.
- Nearly 7,000 species of marine wildlife have been affected by plastic pollution.
- One million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute.
- Five trillion single-use plastic bags are used worldwide every year.
- Half of all produced plastic is specifically designed to be used only once and then thrown away.
The Impact of Plastic Pollution on the Ocean
Because of their durability and long-lasting properties, plastics are persistent polluters. While plastics are designed to be recycled and reused, only about 9% of plastic waste is correctly disposed of and recycled.
Impacts of Plastic Pollution on the Environment
Floating plastic debris is the most abundant marine litter in our oceans. Plastic production and consumption contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, devalue marine ecosystems, and impact wildlife and their ecosystems.
Floating plastics can contribute to the spread of invasive marine organisms and other bacteria, disrupting ecosystems. Waste has accumulated in five subtropical gyres, covering 40% of the world’s oceans.
Plastic waste can persist in the environment for centuries, posing significant environmental risks.
Gyres are circulating patterns of ocean currents that produce still waters where plastic accumulates and forms garbage patches.
These gyres include the North and South Pacific Subtropical Gyres in the mid-latitudes, where the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is located.
The “garbage patch” is a zone with high concentrations of plastic waste continuously circulating near the ocean surface. This has warranted extensive media coverage and publicity compared to the other gyres.
The other gyres are the North and South Atlantic Subtropical Gyres and the Indian Ocean Subtropical Gyres.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch exists because much plastic is not biodegradable and takes hundreds of years to break down. However, they do not disappear, and the plastic breaks down into smaller pieces, which are still very much present.
For Wildlife
Plastics pose physical and chemical threats to wildlife and marine ecosystems. Plastic pollution can cause lacerations, infections, reduced swimming ability due to entanglement, and internal injuries.
Plastic pollution has direct and deadly effects on wildlife, including:
- Ingestion
- Suffocation
- Entanglement
Marine wildlife, such as seabirds, whales, fish, and turtles, often mistake plastic waste for prey or accidentally ingest plastics. Nearly every species of seabird from all over the world is found to be ingesting plastics.
The ingestion of plastics tricks wildlife into feeling full, and as a result, most die of starvation. Plastics can also block the digestive tract or pierce organs, causing death.
Millions of animals are killed by plastics every year, from birds to fish and other marine animals. Most deaths occur because of suffocation, entanglement, or starvation.
Seals, whales, and turtles, as well as other animals, have been known to be strangled by abandoned fishing gear and discarded six-pack rings, as well as other plastic waste.
Land animals, including elephants, hyenas, tigers, and zebras, have also consumed plastics, sometimes resulting in death.
Research has found that plastics damage the liver and cells, disrupt reproductive systems, and produce few eggs (e.g., oysters).
For Humans
Plastics are found everywhere, especially microplastics. Research shows that invisible plastics have been identified in shared resources, such as tap water, beer, and salt.
The chemicals used to produce plastic materials are known to be carcinogenic and interfere with the body’s endocrine system. This can cause health issues related to developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune disorders in humans and wildlife.
Plastics also make their way up the food chain, meaning they are in our food. For example, microplastics injected by fish are then ingested by humans who consume those fish, which is commonly referred to as bioaccumulation.
Microplastics have been found in over 100 aquatic species, including fish, shrimp, and mussels.
Plastic pollution is a global problem, with developing countries struggling with inefficient or non-existent garbage collection and developed countries faced with low recycling rates.
How Does Plastic End Up in the Ocean?
Plastics have become a major contributor to ocean pollution. These plastics originate from human use, so how does it end up in the ocean?
The ocean is downstream from nearly every terrestrial location, so plastic waste generated on land slowly finds its way there. Rivers are direct channels that carry trash from cities worldwide to marine environments.
Did you know ten rivers alone carry over 90% of the plastic waste in the oceans? Those ten rivers include:
- Chang Jiang (Yangzte River) – 1.5 million tons
- Indus – 160,000 tons
- Huang He (Yellow River) – 120,000 tons
- Hai He – 92,000 tons
- Nile – 85,000 tons
- Meghna, Brahmaputra, Ganges – 73,000 tons
- Zhujiang (Pearl River) – 53,000 tons
- Amur – 38,000 tons
- Niger – 35,000 tons
- Mekong – 33,000 tons
What is Microplastics?
Microplastics are small plastic pieces that have broken down and are less than five millimeters long.
Microplastics pose significant problems for the environment and marine wildlife. Because of their size, aquatic life and wildlife often mistake microplastics for food. They come from various sources, including oversized plastic products.
Microplastics ingested can block the gastrointestinal tract or trick wildlife into thinking they are not hungry, leading to starvation.
What are Microbeads?
Microbeads are tiny polyethylene plastic added to health and beauty products, such as face cleansers and toothpaste. Microbeads are non-biodegradable and take a very long time to break down.
Because of their small size, it is impossible to filter them out of the water systems and eliminate them from the environment. As a result, they remain in the environment almost indefinitely and are often accidentally consumed by wildlife.
History and Future of Plastics
The production of plastic products enhanced after the Second World War, with mass production speeding up in the 1960s and 1970s.
Consumers and manufacturers alike became addicted to plastic products because they are cheap, versatile, sanitary, and easy to manufacture in many different forms.
Plastic quickly began replacing traditional materials and took over the consumer market.
Plastics Key Milestones
- 1885 – an invention by Alexander Parkes called Parkesine, now referred to as celluloid
- 1838-1872 – invention of polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
- 1907 – the creation of the first actual synthetic, mass-produced plastic by Leo Baekeland
Plastics have some positive effects. They revolutionized many sectors and industries, such as medicine. At the same time, the pollution associated with plastics manufacturing and disposal is mainly adverse.
Plastics led to the development of life-saving devices, making space travel possible, lighting cars and jets, and saving lives with helmets, incubators, and other equipment.
Timeline of Plastics Use
- 1950 to 1970: only a tiny amount of plastic was produced, and plastic waste was manageable
- The 1990s: in only two decades, plastic waste generation tripled because of increased plastic pollution
- The 2000s: plastic waste rose more in a single decade than it had in the previous 40 years
Since the 1950s, plastic production has grown faster than any other material. Production increased from 2.3 million tonnes in 1950 to 448 million tons by 2015. The production and manufacturing of plastics are expected to double by 2050.
As plastic production evolved, it is now mainly manufactured for single-use purposes. That means many plastic products, such as plastic bags and food wrappers, have a lifespan of minutes to hours, yet they persist in the environment for hundreds of years.
Plastics are now a part of daily life. Their convenience has led to a throw-away culture.
Single-use plastics account for 40% of all plastics produced annually. We are estimated to have over 300 million tonnes of plastic waste yearly, equivalent to the weight of the entire human population.
Plastics’ variability, flexibility, and convenience have led to overuse and dependence on single-use or disposal plastic.
The properties that make plastic so desirable (durability and resistance) make it nearly impossible for nature to break down completely. That means plastic never entirely disappears but keeps getting smaller and smaller.
As long as plastics are present, they will continue to harm the environment, wildlife, marine animals, and humans.
Related content: Things You Can Do to Help Save the Ocean
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