 |
 |
 |
Ocean plastic pollution is a persistent problem around the globe -- animals may become entangled in larger pieces of plastic like fishing nets, or ingest microplastics that eventually enter the food chain to be consumed by humans.
Research published on Wednesday found that there are an estimated 170 trillion pieces of plastic, mainly microplastics, on the surface of the world's oceans today, much of it discarded since 2005.
"Plastic pollution in the world's oceans during the past 15 years has reached unprecedented levels," said the study, published in open-access journal PLOS One.
The amounts were higher than previous estimates, and the study found that the rate of plastic entering the oceans could accelerate several-fold in the coming decades if left unchecked.
Researchers took plastic samples from over 11,000 stations around the world focusing on a 40-year period between 1979 and 2019.
They found no trends until 1990, then a fluctuation in trends between 1990 and 2005. After that, the samples skyrocket.
"We see a really rapid increase since 2005 because there is a rapid increase in production and also a limited number of policies that are controlling the release of plastic into the ocean," contributing author Lisa Erdle told AFP.
The sources of plastic pollution in the ocean are numerous.
Fishing gear like nets and buoys often end up in the middle of the ocean, dumped or dropped by accident, while things like clothing, car tyres and single-use plastics often pollute nearer to the coast.
They eventually break down into microplastics, which Erdle said can look like "confetti on the surface of the ocean".
- 'Flood of toxic products' -
On current trends, plastic use will nearly double from 2019 across G20 countries by 2050, reaching 451 million tonnes each year, according to the report, jointly produced by Economist Impact and The Nippon Foundation.
In 1950, only two million tonnes of plastic were produced worldwide.
Recycling, even in countries with advanced waste management systems, has done little to help the pollution problem since just a small percentage of plastics are properly recycled and much often ending up in landfills instead.
If landfills are not properly managed, plastic waste can leech into the environment, eventually making its way to oceans.
"We really we see a lack of recycling, a flood of toxic products and packaging," Erdle said.
The rates of plastic waste were seen to recede at some points between 1990 and 2005, in part because there were some effective policies in place to control pollution.
That includes the 1988 MARPOL treaty, a legally binding agreement among 154 countries to end the discharge of plastics from naval, fishing and shipping fleets.
But with so much more plastic being produced today, the study's authors said a new, wide-ranging treaty is needed to not only reduce plastic production and use but also better manage its disposal.
"Environmental recovery of plastic has limited merit, so solution strategies must address those systems that restrict emissions of plastic pollution in the first place," the study said.
Last year, 175 nations agreed to end plastic pollution under a legally binding United Nations agreement that could be finalised as soon as next year.
Among the key actions under negotiation are a global ban on single-use plastics, a "polluter pays" scheme, and a tax on new plastic production.
The total weight of the plastic pollution detected in the ocean today is estimated at 2.3 million tonnes, the PLOS study said.
It examined samples in the North Atlantic, the South Atlantic, the North Pacific, the South Pacific, the Indian and Mediterranean oceans.
Senegalese recyclers seek solutions in fight against plastic
Dakar (AFP) March 9, 2023 -
Discarded containers and bags are an eyesore in many towns, while beaches are covered by debris -- Senegal's notorious problem of plastic pollution is not going away.
Fly-tipping is a scourge and landfills like the sprawling Mbeubeuss site near the capital Dakar are overstretched, with several thousand tonnes of detritus dumped daily, polluting the ground and water.
For young Senegalese entrepreneurs keen on cleaning up their country and turning a profit in the process, enthusiasm is not lacking -- but technology, funding and public awareness are.
President Macky Sall has proposed turning Senegal into a "zero waste" nation and banned single-use plastics in 2020.
But after decades of chaotic management in dealing with the problems, activists see negligible progress.
"The law is still not applied and alternative solutions are not put forward," said Aisha Conte, head of the country's zero-waste association.
- Recycling up close -
Onboard a ship that recently docked at Dakar, Baptiste Lomenech walked a group of entrepreneurs through some basics in plastic recycling.
He's a crewmember with Plastic Odyssey, a three-year around-the-world floating initiative that showcases expertise and equipment to would-be recyclers living in countries struggling with major plastic pollution.
The Senegalese visitors were given a tour of the recycling process from start to finish -- from shredding and washing old plastic, drying it in a centrifuge and finally heating it to a molten state and extruding it, so that it can then be moulded into into a new product.
The idea is to introduce machinery that is simple to use, easy to acquire and unhindered by patent protection.
The 20-odd crew members demonstrate the techniques and share their knowledge and experience with the visitors, who are all involved in local waste projects.
The questions flowed. How long is the cooling process? How much does it cost? Can you increase the density?
- Lacking state help -
"I've broadened my scope and my thinking by coming here. I've seen that it's doable to instal recycling machines that don't cost a lot," said Boubacar Diakhite from a company called Defaratt, based in the northern city of Gandiol.
"We knew we had the ability to do it but we didn't know how to do it," he told AFP.
Twenty-nine-year-old Lenora Hamon said she was planning to launch a plastic recycling site in southern Casamance with the Nio Far association.
"Ideas? It's given me about 100 a minute," she raved.
Every minute, nearly 20 tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the world's oceans, where it breaks down and enters the food chain.
Larger pieces are swallowed by mammals or birds or broken down, while tiny specks can affect plankton, a building block of marine life.
Plastic Odyssey's co-founder Simon Bernard said countries needed a two-pronged approach towards the plastic peril -- to drastically reduce the amount of waste and recycle what was collected.
Young Senegalese entrepreneur Abdoul Bakhy Mbacke said there were hurdles, but also opportunities, in his country.
He noted how garbage lorries in his neighbourhood only served the big streets, which meant that piles of rubbish built up in narrow streets and alleys.
That opened up a business opportunity.
"We thought of using tricycles to creep through the narrow streets and provide local rubbish collection," he said.
Businesses and households pay a subscription for his service. He said he collects 15 tonnes of waste every day, about 20 percent of which is plastic.
He said he had business partners who recycled the waste but saw a chance to develop a pilot project with Plastic Odyssey to set up his own recycling site.
The fledgling industry really needs state help to get off the ground, for instance in encouraging people to sort out their rubbish, he said.
"In a way, we are substituting for the state at the moment but we're not discouraged... If the state decides to come in with us, we'd be pleased but we're not going to be waiting around," he said.
Related Links
Space Technology News - Applications and Research
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
