Plastics: Why We Need to Pay Attention

Plastic Pollution Working Group

As you may be aware last year, in conjunction with the EA, the Association formed a Plastic Pollution Working Group that evolved a response plan to plastic pollution and marine debris on the coastline and inland waters that was trialled successfully and is now deployable.

The response plan was designed to respond to marine litter on different types of shorelines using debris recovery techniques ranging from vacuum recovery to mechanical or manual collection. These incidents are generally small in quantity often <500kg but their impact can be considerable. Strandline spread can be over several miles of coastline. It is important to recover it quickly before the opportunity to do so is lost as the impact of plastic in the marine environment is well understood.

Responders can be reached through www.isasaccreditation.org and are based nationwide and will have a shoreline module as part of that MCA Oil Spill Response certification or will be able to apply for accreditation module Category 9 Shoreline Plastic Pollution and Marine Debris Recovery through ISAS.

Our initial work highlighted that we could respond well. However it was clear that there is much more that needs to be done. During this period the MV X-Press Pearl fire and complete loss of the vessel and its containers occurred in Sri Lanka. Several containers including plastic nurdles within them. As one journalist wrote – one container millions of problems. From this incident so much learning has resulted, not least the impact that such significant uncontrolled loss of nurdles can cause. We have covered the lost of the MV X-Press Pearl in the last two issues of Spill Alert and there is more in this issue.

Members of ITOPF on site in Sri Lanka sampling on an beach impacted by the loss of nurdles from MV X-Press Pearl (ITOPF)

So why must plastic be raised as a major issue.

Today, there is no place on Earth immune to this problem. A majority of the litter and debris that covers our beaches comes from storm drains and sewers, as well as from shorelines and recreational activities such as picnicking and beachgoing. Abandoned or discarded fishing gear is also a major problem because this trash can entangle, injure, maim, and drown marine wildlife and damage property

Estimated as 23 million metric tons of plastic waste per year – which excludes ocean and disaster debris.

But…..

National Geographic forecast 22 growing to 58 million tons of plastic waste per year – BUT this INCLUDES commitments from governments and industry……..and we know just how reliable they are to be fulfilled.

If we do not change behaviour and if pledges made by governments are not honoured then 99 million tons of uncontrolled plastic waste would end up in the environment by 2030.

To visualize this:

A rubbish truck tipping a load of plastic into the ocean every minute every day for a year or A football stadium filled with plastic every day.

Just one of so many ‘garbage patches’ that surround our coast but are a whole different sacle in size on the ocean (Photo 96616710 / Garbage © Ethan Daniels | Dreamstime.com)

The issue is the rising tonnage of plastic in the seas. The growth of plastic production is outpacing the world’s ability to keep up with collecting it.

Thousands of plastic bottles clogging up seaside locations, along with cans, glass and crisp packets, with 3,298 pieces picked up for every kilometre cleaned, though this is falling due to NGO action and beach clean ups the source is growing! (Photo 113339782 / Beach Garbage © Hanohiki | Dreamstime.com)

The American Chemistry Council in 2019 forecast that new production of plastic is forecast to more than double by 2050—increasing to 756 million tons anticipated in 2050 from 308 million tons produced in 2018.

It is already and significant problem that governments are failing to address and will become a much larger problem in the future!

Currently only 9% or plastic waste is recycled.

Some of this is incinerated at energy from waste plants. Some is still exported – despite statements that it is not! Some is reprocessed to go back into production Some is made into alternative products – benches, posts , garden furniture etc

However none of this is sufficient!

UK Government is talking about recovering 100% of plastic produced by 2030 so that it can be reprocessed into new plastic by 2030 – is this realistic!@!@*!

If we accept that UK Government has too many other priority issues to resolve – cost of living, NHS backlog, failing social care, war in Ukraine and its knock on effect, fuels crisis, climate change and global warming, etc etc etc . It means that plastic is going to slide down their agenda.

So it is back to UK local government, working with NGOs, to resolve as the plastic waste sits on their streets, in their rivers and on their shorelines and they will be under pressure from their residents and businesses to resolve the issue.

Can this be done.

Well, yes, actually it can but it needs a larger and more immediate effort than is currently being put in to achieve this. Government can only play a legislative role in this.

Simple steps have to be made but must happen soon:

Government – legislation (drafted but not presented due to COVID) to enforce extended producer responsibility – this adds all of the environmental costs to the product through its product life cycle. It creates a fund industry can use to implement collection, reprocessing and reuse processes that ensure plastic is collected and reused.

Government – stop single use plastic production except for medical use. Simple law needs to do that.

Government – force producers to use alternatives to plastic for packaging and protection of goods wherever possible

Local Government – introduce deposit return schemes for plastic – particularly relevant to plastic bottles and containers.

Local Government – through contractual obligations restrict the use of plastic and ban single use plastics, prioritise recycling targets, increase availability of recycling opportunities, work with local waste management contracts and contractors to be more imaginative in collection, segregation and sale of recycled plastic.

Local Government and NGOs – work together as partners to support all of these initiative on a local community basis; generating awareness, gently encouraging personal responsibility, making recycling straightforward and

NGOs – supporting local communities in recycling and reuse schemes, ensuring collection equipment is where it should be and is being emptied by waste contractors, in school education, litter sweeps, education and community initiatives.

Residents – minimise use of plastic, dispose of responsibly, set an example to children and others.

If we all play our part then we can deal with the growing problem of increasing plastic pollution.

However ,the Government must find time to bring in legislation that makes it possible.

The longer it delays then then the harder it will be to keep plastic undercontrol!

We must and can all do our bit! It really does help! (Photo 143420358 / Beach Garbage © Masr | Dreamstime.com)