Marine litter
Plastics should not end up in the aquatic environment, where they may cause harm to wildlife. In the UK there is a wellestablished recycling collection infrastructure in place for rigid plastics that allows us to turn post-consumer plastics into new products. Consumers, government and industry all have a part to play in protecting the environment and ensuring that the plastic we use to protect products and ensure safety, convenience and hygiene is easily recovered for re-use and recycling.
What are the sources of marine pollution? The absence of waste management facilities or inadequate waste management around the world facilitates the accumulation of litter into the environment. Hotspots of marine litter accumulation have been identified in coastal areas around the world and primarily in rapidly developing economies. Additionally, other sources such as chemicals, fertilisers and sewage are causing marine pollution. Key sources of plastic in the oceans include: • Personal care items being flushed into the sewage system (e.g. wet wipes). • Waste being illegally dumped at sea. • Primary microplastics that are either intentionally released (such as microbeads in cosmetic products, banned in the UK since 2018) or unintentionally released into the environment (such as car tyre and textile erosion or plastic pellets). • Lost or intentionally abandoned fishing gear. • Used articles carelessly discarded on beaches as well as other littering on both land and sea.
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