Plastics in the Ocean: A Global Crisis

by Elinor Jeynes

Did you know that right now around 12.7 million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans each year? That equates to a truck full of rubbish entering our oceans every minute. Due to ocean currents this plastic is now appearing in every corner of the planet from English beaches to uninhabited Pacific islands and even in Arctic Ice. The effects of this plastic are devastating to our oceans it is choking our marine animals and clogging the stomachs of our seabirds. This is dangerous, chilling and unnecessary. If we don’t change the way we dispose of our plastics there will be no ocean life in the future. Is that what we really want?

Firstly the effect that plastics has on marine life is appalling. Many sea animals mistake plastics for food and will then consume them. This causes many health problems and some animals can even starve because they believe that the plastics will fill them up. Our oceans are slowly turning into a plastic soup and the effects on ocean life are terrifying . Many seabirds are badly affected by the plastic pollution in our oceans. Scientists estimate that 60 percent of all seabird species have eaten pieces of plastic, a figure they predict will rise to 99% in 2050. Seabirds are beginning to unintentionally feed their chicks plastic, mistaking it for food, and one study found that 98% of the chicks investigated had ingested some form of plastic. This isn’t right and we all need to stop it. Unfortunately seabirds are not the only group of animals affected by human problems. Turtles are one of the main animals that plastics in the ocean have the worse consequences on. Research indicates that over half of sea turtles worldwide have ingested plastic. Some starve after doing so, mistakenly believing they have eaten enough because their stomachs are full. On many beaches, there is so much plastic pollution that it’s affecting turtles’ reproduction rates by altering the temperatures of the sand where they lay there eggs. The effect of plastic has a direct and disastrous effect on marine mammals who  often ingest, and get tangled up in, plastic. Large amounts of plastic debris have been found in the habitat of wales who have been found dead with bellies full of plastic and there are several accounts of various species found dead after plastic consumption. Such as in 2002 when a Minke whale was found with 800 kg of plastic bags in its stomach. From these statistics we can see how much damage our plastic waste is causing. We have to work together to reduce the amount of plastics in the ocean. We have to work together to convince the government to do something. We have to work together to save our seas.

Also plastics themselves cause many issues in the oceans. It is expected that soon there will be more plastics in the ocean than fish. We're surrounded by plastic. It’s in the single-use packaging we discard, the consumer goods that fill our stores, and in our clothing, which sheds microplastic fibers in the wash. In the first decade of this century, we made more plastic than all the plastic in history up to the year 2000. Each year, large amounts plastics end up in the world's oceans. Studies estimate there are now trillions of  pieces of plastic in the world's oceans, not one square mile of surface ocean anywhere on earth is free of plastic pollution. The problem is growing into a crisis. The fossil fuel industry plans to increase plastic production by 40 percent over the next decade. This means more toxic air pollution and plastic in our oceans. We need urgent action to address the global plastic pollution. Unfortunately, plastic is so durable that every bit of plastic made still exists. This is monstrous, harrowing and most of all shocking . Us humans have caused this problem and it is our responsibility to fix it. We need to stop this, together. You need to reduce your plastic waste and make the earth and make the earth a safer place.

Penultimately there are many ways that we can stop this. It isn’t too late for you to do something. Wherever you live, the easiest way that you can help is by reducing your own use of single-use plastics. Single-use plastics include plastic bags, and any other plastic items that are used once and then discarded. The best way to do this is by refusing any single-use plastics that you do not need and by purchasing, and carrying with you, reusable versions of those products. Also when you refuse single-use plastic items, help businesses by letting them know that you would like them to offer alternatives. Also as a country we need to work together to recycle more, at the moment just 9% of plastic is recycled worldwide. Recycling helps keep plastics out of the ocean and reduces the amount of “new” plastic created. Finally you can make sure that the products containing plastics that you do use cause minimal harm to the environment. Tiny plastic particles, called “microbeads,” have become a growing source of ocean plastic pollution in recent years. Microbeads are found in some face scrubs, toothpastes, and body washes, and they readily enter our oceans and waterways through our sewer systems, and affect hundreds of marine species. You can prevent using them by looking out for products that say they are good for the environment and check ingredients on packets.

Overall it is clear that if action is not taken soon we will have no marine life and the oceans will be full of plastic. These consequences of our own actions must be stopped. The effects that plastic has on our planet is devastating and these animals need my help, they need your help and they need our help. By changing simple parts of your lifestyle you can help save the seas. Please - the oceans need you!