Oceans Engulfed by a Rapidly Increasing Plastic Smog Threatening Marine Life and Human Health
A new study reveals that the world's oceans are polluted by "plastic smog" with an estimated 171 trillion plastic particles weighing around 2.3 million tons.
The study analyzed global data collected from nearly 12,000 sampling points in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea between 1979 and 2019.
The researchers found a "rapid and unprecedented" increase in ocean plastic pollution since 2015.
Waste management systems have not kept pace with the soaring plastic production in the last few decades, especially single-use plastics.
The study shows that only about 9% of global plastics are recycled each year.
Without urgent policy action, the rate at which plastics enter the ocean could increase by around 2.6 times between now and 2040.
The need for legally binding agreements to limit plastic production cannot be overstated, according to the 5 Gyres Institute, which organized the study.
The UN has agreed to create a legally binding global plastics treaty by 2024 that would address the whole list of plastics from production to disposal.
Policies to reduce the amount of plastic produced in the first place are the only real solution, especially as companies continue to find new ways to pump more plastics into the market, says Judith Erick, former EPA regional administrator and president of Beyond Plastics.
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