Marine Litter

Plastics should not end up in the aquatic environment, where they may cause to wildlife.

What are the sources of plastics in the ocean?

More than two billion people worldwide do not have access to a waste management system[1]. Even if material is collected, without sufficient controls in place, this material can escape into the environment. Hotspots of accumulating marine litter have been identified in coastal areas around the world and primarily in rapidly developing economies where there is limited access to waste management (or none at all). Additionally, other sources such as chemicals, fertilisers and sewage are causing marine pollution.

Other sources include:

• Personal care items being flushed into the sewage system (e.g. wet wipes).
• Waste being illegally dumped at sea or into the environment
• Primary microplastics that are either intentionally released (microbeads in cosmetic products – banned in the UK since 2018) or unintentionally released into the environment (car tyre and textile erosion, plastic pellets).
• Lost or intentionally abandoned fishing gear.
• Used articles carelessly discarded on beaches and at sea.
• Litter dropped on land which has been transported to the sea via rivers or waterways.  

What is industry doing to address marine litter?

The industry has also long advocated for better on the go collection of plastic waste across the UK to reduce littering. It has also supported a call for a deposit return scheme to help address littering and is constantly working to promote the importance of recycling plastic, wherever possible.[2]

The industry has also worked on improving the recyclability of packaging designs to help keep material within the circular economy and out of the environment.

In conclusion...

There are varied sources for marine pollution and steps need to be taken by the private sector, governments, and consumers to mitigate the risks and ensure the marine environment is protected. The industry needs to continue to be proactive in ensuring that plastics are recovered for recycling in much greater proportion, so that they do not end up in the marine environment. But to do this, it needs the support of the government and for money raised by the UK’s Plastic Packaging Tax, for example, to be invested in growing the UK’s recycling infrastructure.  Improving waste management across the globe is a critical factor in reducing marine litter. 

Further increases in recycling rates in the UK could be achieved by the government working with industry to improve and simplify the waste management infrastructure, particularly looking at ‘binfrastructure’ (e.g. ‘on the go’ litter bins) and the suitability of bins provided (i.e. mandating that bins have lids in wind-prone areas) to reduce litter. Better enforcement of litter laws for the public and waste laws for businesses would also help but more public information campaigns to discourage littering would also be required.

Further investment should be made in the recycling infrastructure in the UK to develop a circular economy, ensuring that plastics can be recycled as close to market as possible and that they remain within a well-developed waste management infrastructure.

Ensuring that it is more widely understood that biobased and biodegradable plastics are not a solution for marine litter, as these do not necessarily biodegrade in the marine environment, would also help to ensure these materials are treated appropriately.

Continued support from the UK plastics industry in preventing plastic waste reach the environment through industry-led schemes such as Operation Clean Sweep® (see microplastics position statement), will help to minimise the risk of plastic pellets, flake or powders entering the oceans or waterways from commercial facilities.

 

 

 

Sources:

[1] United Nations Environment Programme 2015 Global Waste Management Outlook

[2] See, for example, www.plasticrecyclingfacts.org

 

Further information:

• https://www.marinelitterthefacts.com/ 
• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/oceans/critical-issues-marine-pollution/
• https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our_focus/oceans_practice/problems/pollution/ 
• https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts/ocean-pollution 
• https://science.sciencemag.org/content/347/6223/768 
• https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/marine-plastics 
• https://thefishingdaily.com/latest-news/lost-fishing-gear-a-trap-for-our-ocean-says-commission-report/ 

 

First published April 2019

Reviewed and updated April 2024

Reviewed February 2025