Plastic In The Ocean

Let's not only talk about the environment and oceons, but also about The Man Who Ingests Significant Amounts Without Realizing It! The presence of these microplastics in both air and water poses a huge public health problem. it contaminate the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink. Most of these particles are covered with pigments, heavy metals and organic molecules. They are easily ingested by molluscs and fish and thus enter the food chain of which humans are a part. For example, on behalf of WWF, the University of Newcastle (Australia) determined that each individual ingested about 2000 small plastic fragments each week, or 21 grams per month, 250 grams per year. The health effects are currently poorly known and little studied.

Now that I have your attention talking about what the man did, let start talking about a plastics in the oceans, the main causeof the death of sea animals land and sea pollution.

Plastics in the oceans

 Let's start with some numbers!

• We estimate that between 8 and 12 million tons end up in our oceans
• very minute, the equivalent of one plastic garbage truck is dumped into the ocean...
• 1 Million sea birds killed per year
• over 100 000 marine animals (turtles, whales ...) are killed each year
• 70% of plastic waste ends up on the ocean bottom
• 450 years for a plastic bottle to degrade.
• Millions of km are already polluted by microplastics with important impacts on :
• Human health (sterility, hormonal disturbances, growth disorders)
• Economic activity (degradation of coastal tourist activity, destruction of fishing resources, etc.).

 

Plastics - A global ecological disaster

The extent of contamination of the sea environment by plastic waste is enormous. Once in the ocean, it is very difficult, perhaps impossible, to clean up this waste. It floats in all the oceans of the world, from the polar regions to the equator, at all depths. Plastic pieces have recently been found in the Marianas Trench, the deepest part of the ocean.

Between 60 and 80% of ocean debris is of land-based origin (the rest comes from the fishing industry). The most common marine debris consists of plastic and synthetic materials that have disastrous effects on the ocean and seabirds. Ingestion of marine debris particularly affects sea turtles and seabirds, but does not spare other marine mammals and fish. They generally swallow ocean debris because they mistake it for prey.
From our point of view, eliminating plastic at the source is the best solution to fight against this pollution of the oceans. Using materials that can remain for several hundred years for single-use products such as packaging or straws is simply ridiculous!

=> According to beach pollution monitoring agencies, bottles are the most common type of plastic waste found on our shores.

For exemple : Coca-Cola, the world's soda giants... and plastic pollution

 

As the world's leading soft drink company, Coca-Cola (owner of many brands such as Sprite and Minute Maid) is largely responsible for the plastic pollution of our oceans. Given its colossal profits, the company has ample means and influence to change its business model and take the rest of the industry with it.

While real "plastic continents" are forming off our oceans, the Coca-Cola Group has yet to commit to reducing the number of single-use plastic bottles it sells every day around the world. On the contrary, this number is only increasing!

The recent audit on plastic trash around the world concluded that Coca-Cola was the largest plastic polluter. The audit, conducted by Break Free From Plastic, consisted of 848 cleanup events across 51 countries and six continents. In total, 72,541 volunteers combed through beaches, city streets, waterways and their neighborhoods picking up pieces of plastic.  

The company responded to questions from The Intercept with the following: “Anytime our packaging ends up in our oceans—or anywhere that it doesn’t belong—is unacceptable to us. In partnership with others, we are working to address this critical global issue, both to help turn off the tap in terms of plastic waste entering our oceans and to help clean up the existing pollution.”

So we hope that promise will be kept...

 => The second reason for this pollution is the failure to manage plastic waste in rivers and coastal areas and, to a lesser extent, fishing and maritime activities. At this rate, in 2050, when the world's population will approach 10 billion people, there will be as many tonnes of plastic in the ocean as there are tonnes of fish.

(Source : Fondation Helen Mac Arthur)

 Where does ocean waste come from ?

 Plastic often makes a long trip before it reaches our oceans. It is transported by springs, rivers, and finally streams. In the seas, plastic accumulates and degrades into almost invisible micro-particles, contaminating marine animals that mistake this waste for zooplankton. German researchers have inventoried the ten largest plastic-carrying rivers in the world.

 Most of it is dragged into the ocean by rivers. And 90% of them come from only 10 of them, according to one study.
By analyzing the waste found in rivers and the surrounding landscape, researchers were able to estimate that only 10 river systems carry 90% of the plastic discharged into the ocean. 9 of these are in Asia, including the Yangtze, Ganges and Mekong rivers, and two in Africa: the Nile and Niger.

The rivers all have two things in common: a generally high population living in the surrounding region - sometimes several hundred million people - and a less than ideal waste management process. The Yangtze is the longest river in Asia and one of the most ecologically important in the world. It is home to nearly 500 million people in its vicinity (more than a third of China's population). It is also the main vector of plastic pollution of the ocean.
Here The 10 rivers in the world that carry the most plastic...

In total, researchers estimate that between 410,000 and 4 million tonnes of plastic from rivers end up in the oceans each year. The main source of pollution comes from areas where little or no waste is collected and recycled. The hydraulic flow of rivers is another determining factor: nine of the world's most polluting rivers are also among the world's largest.

How long does it take to move plastic from a river to the ocean - in weeks, years or decades? Difficult to say with the current state of knowledge. This is what researchers will now try to measure. This data will make it possible to predict the impact of current land-based plastic pollution on the ocean. With figures to back it up, solutions for sorting plastic waste in the world's most polluting areas can then be envisaged.

However, China has made efforts to reduce waste on its territory.  And last year, the country has ordered 46 cities to start sorting waste in order to achieve a 35% recycling rate by 2020. In India, disposable plastics are banned in Delhi, while non-biodegradable plastic bags are banned in many states. Halving the amount of plastic absorbed by these rivers would already be a great success, but to achieve this will require improved waste management and public awareness.

What are the solutions?

If cleaning plastic continents in the heart of the ocean seems like a titanic task for which no one wants to take responsibility or bear the costs, it is the responsibility of political decision-makers to solve this problem by adopting effective measures to reduce waste at source as a priority and then ensuring its recycling.
It is also the responsibility of consumer goods companies to reduce the amount of plastic put on the market and to invest in innovative distribution systems to reduce the use of plastic packaging.

What you can do
The picture was taken from the sky. The activists have written the words "Protect What You Love" in very large letters on the sand with rubbish found on the beach. They formed a sign of peace and love with the O of the word Love and their bodies formed the inner bars.
Operation Svalbard (Svalbard), an Arctic beach clean-up operation.

We are all responsible for this situation, and everyone must get involved so that it doesn't get worse. It is high time to fundamentally question the way we use (or abuse) plastics. You can take action now :

• Reduce your consumption, reuse, recycle your products.
• Consume responsibly, and do your best to avoid products with excessive packaging, especially disposable products. Say no to "all disposable"! Avoid single-use products as much as possible (water in plastic bottles, plastic straws, plastic bags, disposable dishes, household wipes, etc.) and favour sustainable alternatives.
• Lobby for more and better recycling equipment in your neighbourhood.
• Participate in local initiatives to clean up streams, rivers and beaches, or organize one yourself. These operations are not a miracle solution, but they are very effective in drawing attention to the more serious problem of our oceans.
• If you live in a coastal area or along a river flowing into the ocean, your sewage probably carries the waste directly into the sea. Be aware of this, as well as any other potential sources of marine pollution in your area. Fight for their removal.
• Most important! Tell the world you don't want this disaster anymore! (read further) 

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 Our Call !

Today nature in general and the oceans more specifically need us to restore that harmony which existed in the past!
Today, with all the technologies, all the knowledge and all the ways of communication that we have, we can relive this fire! This happiness that nature had given us, here are some photographs of this wonderful earth! look at these landscapes.

Would you like to see them and see them every day? Wouldn't you like your children, your grandchildren to be able to see them? I do! So let's do something about it! Turtle Store offers you the opportunity to bring out your dissatisfaction with these products that express your anger against plastic. 
We don't have to create a new petition or donations to divide the information further and spread it around. We prefer to redirect you to petitions that already exist!

Building a future in which people live in harmony with nature. 

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