From the Rubbish Bin to the Sea: What Happens to Plastic in the Ocean?

It is estimated that 11 million tonnes of plastic debris enter the oceans each year.

Every year, the world produces over 400 million tonnes of plastic, and with recycling rates remaining below 10% globally, the volume entering our oceans continues to grow.

Poor waste management and littering cause plastic to enter rivers and waterways, eventually pouring into the ocean.

Discarded fishing gear is another major contributor.

Once in the ocean, plastic is easily swept away by ocean currents, spreading far and wide, from the surface to the seafloor. Approximately only 1% of plastic debris remains on the surface, as the rest sinks or is carried into submarine canyons. Plastic debris has been found in every type of marine habitat, including coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and deep-sea sediment. In 2018, a plastic bag was even discovered at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in the ocean. 

Plastic debris causes catastrophic damage to marine ecosystems. Large marine animals, such as dolphins and whales, turtles, and seabirds, can become entangled in or ingest plastic, often with fatal consequences. It is estimated that over 100,000 marine mammals and 1 million seabirds are killed by plastic debris each year. Benthic organisms (those living on the seafloor) are at risk of being crushed or smothered by accumulating layers of plastic.

Furthermore, exposure to the environment causes plastics to break down into microscopic fragments, which accumulate toxic chemicals and are consumed by marine life, contaminating the food chain. When microplastics enter the food chain, the damage extends far beyond individual species and begins to destabilise entire ecosystems that the planet, and we ourselves, depend on to survive.

Losing ocean ecosystems will have an irreversible impact on our planet’s health. The ocean generates 50% of the oxygen we breathe, and absorbs 30% of the carbon dioxide we produce. Increasing species loss and habitat degradation as a result of plastic pollution, in addition to global warming and ocean acidification, leave us at great risk of destroying the so-called ‘lungs of the planet’.

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For more information contact: info@scarabtrust.org.uk

Image: fishing waste garbage trash - Image by Gude Pavan from Pixabay (ST ref: 1332)