Oceans have Become Plastic Dumps

Despite the importance and vastness of the world’s oceans, they don’t get the respect they deserve. In fact, these life-giving bodies of water collect the majority of the planet’s discarded plastic, affecting entire networks of plants and animals.

The UN’s upcoming Ocean Conference will address the issue without a doubt, focusing mainly on how India and China, which contribute to 70% of plastic in oceans, can reduce their plastic production and dispose of discarded plastic properly.

While all sorts of plastic including water bottles, soft drink packaging, and microbeads affect the sea’s ecosystem, humans are also suffering the consequences. Those who rely on seafood for sustenance are at risk of developing cancer and causing harm to their internal organs through accidental plastic consumption.

The world’s plastic production in 2015 was 322 million, 214 times greater than it was in 1950. Each year, eight million tonnes of that plastic makes its way into oceans, and in a few decades, the fish-to-plastic ratio by weight could be 1:3.

Ocean litter gets to its unsuitable destination mainly through improper waste disposal, littering, and extreme weather conditions. Around $13 billion has been lost from the maritime market due to the last century’s plastic buildup, racked up from community health programs and ecosystem maintenance.

Fortunately, many countries have begun to take preventative measures to improve and preserve the world’s oceans. India and Uruguay have stricter plastic bag policies, while Kenya, Rwanda, and Bangladesh have outlawed them completely. Meanwhile, the US, France, Indonesia, and Canada have banned the use of plastic in material goods like cosmetics, hygiene products, cutlery, and medications.

Slowly but surely, the solution to the plastic oceans problem is becoming more evident, which is exactly what the planet needs.