Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The most reliable information/data on plastics in the sea are available from the
ICC campaign conducted in the 12 Regional Seas countries around the world, who
participate in UNEP's marine litter initiative. A review of the data collected from
these ICC campaigns reveals that different types of plastics are among the top ten
types of marine debris recorded globally.
Tables 5.2
and
5.3
provide information
on the number and percentage of plastic debris (together with other types such as
paper) collected globally and in the 75 countries falling under the 12 Regional Seas
Programme countries. The 'top ten' marine debris items account for 73.8−94.6% of
the total marine debris collected in these Regional Seas [18].
Table 5.2 Plastics in the 'top ten' of marine debris
Debris items Number of items Percentage of total
Bags (paper and plastic) 9,711,238 9.4%
Caps/lids 9,398,977 9.1%
Food wrappers/containers 9,191,575 8.9%
Cups/plates/forks/knives/spoons 7,426,964 7.2%
Beverage bottles (plastic) <2 litres 5,684,718 5.5%
Total debris items 103,247,609 80.7%
Reproduced with permission from the Global ICC Totals (1989-2007). ©1989-2007,
International Coastal Cleanup
5.3 Impacts of Plastic Disposal in the Sea on the Coastal and
Marine Environment and its Resources
The inal stage in the life cycle of plastics is disposal, which normally is carried
out in three ways: by dumping them in landills, by burning them in incinerators
or by littering them. Littering, an improper way of disposing plastics, is the cause
of many ecological problems in the marine environment. The pollution that occurs
at the disposal stage is largely during incineration and when plastic wastes fail to
reach landills or incinerators. Incineration signiicantly reduces the volume of waste
requiring disposal by over 80−95% [19].
Plastic bags are a common cause of clogged and blocked water intakes, resulting in
burned out water pumps in recreational boats. This results in increased maintenance
costs, costly repairs, loss of time, and danger to boat operators and crew. Plastic litter
is also a source of persistent toxic substances and pieces of plastic litter can transport
exotic invasive species over large distances.
