Inquiry 3

Slides

Presentation

Report

Plastic Pollution

Introduction

The oceans are in trouble, there are problems ranging from Plastics covering our ocean to overfishing leaving some fished to extinction and if we don't do something soon it will speed up climate change and cause many other problems, so we need to act fast if we want to save the ocean and all the marine life in it. In my inquiry I will cover plastics,how they damage the ocean and the best solution to this crisis.

From the equator to the poles there is an estimated 15‐51 trillion pieces of plastic in our ocean, 40% of the surfaces are plastic, if we do nothing about this problem it's estimated that in 2050 plastic by weight will outweigh fish. Luckily for us a few people have recognized these changes and are trying to stop them. In this inquiry I will be covering the problems of plastic pollution and what impacts they have, who is trying to save them,what you can do to save the ocean and the best solution to solving plastic pollution.

Worst Plastic Polluters by Country

What is plastic

Plastics are everywhere in houses, clothing and chewing gum. So what are plastics and what are they made of? Plastics are made from polymers which are then malleable into different shapes and objects.There are 7 types of plastics,they are:

#1 – Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE or Polyester) which is highly used for food and beverage packaging. It is commonly recycled and has the number 1 on it somewhere.
#2 – High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) which is used for plastic bottle production it's also commonly recycled and has the number 2 on it's identification code.
#3 – Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) which is used for plumbing and automotive parts it's also used for shoes,raincoats,shower curtains,food packaging,school supplies and toys.
#4 – Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) which is most commonly used for plastic bags,
#5 – Polypropylene (PP) which is used for packaging and plastic parts for various industries.
#6 – Polystyrene (PS) which is a hard plastic it's used for laboratory ware and food packaging they can also be used for appliances,electronics and automobile parts
#7 – Miscellaneous plastics which is plastic used for things like baby feeding bottles,water cooler bottles and sippy cups (these plastics aren't usually recyclable, but this code is also used for some of the biodegradable plastics becoming increasingly popular).

From Oil to Ocean

Plastics are a big part of our lives and ocean, so how does plastic get from oil to ocean. First a hole is drilled into the ground to extract the oil then it's pumped to the surface by a pumpjack which is then pumped through a pipe which can be thousands of miles long to an oil refinery. The oil is processed into polymer pellets which are processed again and poured into a furnace which heats the plastic until it is malleable into all sorts of plastic products.

After the factory, plastic is delivered to supermarkets, auto parts stores, warehouses, homeware stores ….which is then bought by us. For an example of the next step of the plastics journey I'll use plastic bottles.

When we've used a plastic bottle and it’s thrown away the bottle will end up in either 3 different places.

First it might be taken away to a landfill were the rain will flow through the plastic and absorbs the water‐soluble compounds which can cause a harmful stew called leachate which can move into groundwater, soil and streams harming wildlife and damaging ecosystems and the bottle can take 1,000 years to decompose.

The second way is for the bottle to end up in the ocean and break down into micro plastic which fish and other marine life mistake for food and when they eat the plastic it makes them full when they actually aren't so they die of hunger.

The third way is for it to be recycled so that the bottle can be reused over and over again. If we let plastic end up in our ocean many marine animals will die.

What is the issue

From the 1960s plastic has been an issue in the ocean damaging the habitat and killing animals and by 2050 it's said that plastic will outweigh fish. Plastics production has doubled nearly every decade since 1950 which comes to 9.2 billion tons of plastic the weight of nearly 1,600 great pyramids of Giza a lot of this plastic ends up in landfills but also in the ocean. This affects many things, for example marine life mistakes plastic for food, with many sea turtles found dead because they have choked on plastic. 60‐80%of whales and dolphins are affected by plastic pollution and microplastics are even found in the seafood we eat and the water we drink.

Why is it important

Plastic pollution is a widespread problem and has a huge impact on marine life, environment, food,tourism and climate change.

Impacts on Marine environment

When plastic reaches the ocean it stays there for hundreds of years and when it eventually breaks down it becomes small plastics called microplastic which float in the ocean where animals eat them and can die. It's said that 700 species could die if this continues. Sea birds also have plastic in them, studies show that 90% of all seabirds have plastic, seabirds feeding on the surface of the water are more likely to ingest plastic. Another study found 98% of chicks that were sampled had plastic in them. Even in the deepest parts of the ocean animals have been found dead with plastic in them at 2,000m below sea level.

Impacts on food and health

Microplastic have been found in salt, tap water and beer, Microplastics are a huge problem to marine life and are moving up the food chain to us, here's how:

Plankton, at the start of the food chain, eat microplastics and then get eaten by fish who get eaten by other animals including us and so the microplastics are consumed at every stage of the food chain.

What can we do to save the ocean

There are many options to saving the ocean, it's just about finding the most effective one. There are some everyday things like recycling more and using less plastic (which won't actually stop the plastic already in the ocean). There are also massive ambitious solutions out there, for example the ocean cleanup which is a 600m long floater with a 3m skirt attached below, how it works is the plastic is trapped in the floater and skirt and fish go underneath. Another example is 4 ocean sell bracelets and when you buy one pull out one pound of plastic from the ocean.

What can you do to save the ocean

Us regular people have a big impact towards plastic in the ocean, an average household in Western Europe or North America uses 100 kilograms of plastic each year if 8 billion tons of plastic gets thrown into the ocean each year and there are 7.8 billion people in the world that's means around 1 kg of plastic from each person ends up in the ocean, so if you want to reduce this figure here's some things you can do.

1.Recycle: but only 9 percent of plastic is recycled, if you recycle the same plastic will be used over and over again instead of being thrown away and more having to be made.

2.Use less plastic: instead of using single-use plastic products, use reusable materials for example, carry a metal water bottle or bring your own shopping bags instead of using the plastic ones.

3.Support organizations who are protecting the ocean from plastic: if you support these organizations you will help them to rid the ocean of plastic.

4.Pick up litter near beaches or on beaches: picking up litter will save thousands of marine lives and do the ocean a huge favor.

5.Spread the word: Spreading the word is great, you get people involved and the more people who become aware of the huge plastic pollution the faster we can stop it.

Who is trying to save the ocean

Many organizations are trying to rid the ocean of plastics, I'm going to list 3 of the organizations who are doing their bit.

1.The ocean cleanup: the ocean cleanup, have an ambitious goal of cleaning 90% of the 5 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean. To do this they need something that's fast for clearing the ocean, durable for the harsh weather, needs storage for all the plastic and safe for protecting animals but catching plastic. The ocean cleanup design system 001 has all those 4 features, the purpose of system 001 is to clear the great Pacific garbage patch which contains 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic, this is the first design of sixty and is expected to clean half of the great Pacific garbage patch every 5 years. The design consists of a 600m long floater attached with a 3m low skirt, on top of the floater fitted with solar powered lights, sensors, cameras and satellite antennas which are sending information and data to the satellite. A support vessel acts as a garbage truck collecting all the plastic which will be reused to make other products, the ocean cleanup are about to launch the next cleanup system 002 in 2020.

2. 4 ocean: 4 ocean are an organization who have from 2017 cleared around 9,000,000 pounds of trash from the ocean, they sell bracelets and necklaces out of plastic they've pulled out of the ocean and if you donate $10 they will pull a pound of plastic from the ocean.

3.Ocean conservancy:the ocean conservancy have been working for 40 years to try and save the ocean and they work on the biggest problems in the ocean today (being plastic).

Expert - Liesel Carnie, Envirohub

Hey Finn,

Please see my answers below in green.

1.How long have you been involved with conservation

I have been working in conservation for 2 years with Envirohub.

2.Are you involved with anything to do about plastic pollution in the ocean

Yes, Envirohub helped to set up a Sustainable Coastlines group which audits a beach 4 times a year which contributes to nationwide data. I now volunteer for this group personally. Envirohub also has a programme called ZERO which aims to reduce plastic in businesses, we have a Precious Plastics machine which recycles single-use plastics, we often run beach clean ups, we promote awareness about plastic pollution on our social media, we run Refill NZ here in the Bay of Plenty which encourages people to refill their water bottle rather than buy a new plastic bottle, and we are also part of the organising committee of Plastic Free July Aotearoa.

3.Do you think it's an issue in New Zealand

Yes absolutely, it is everywhere. In New Zealand our beaches and oceans appear clean as we have low population density compared to the rest of the world but per capita we have very high rates of pollution. We also have rare and unique marine life which we have a responsibility to protect.

4.Why do you think people don't recycle

There could be a few reasons for this but I think the main reason is there is a lack of concern for the issue, due to a lack of education about the importance and benefits of recycling. This, combined with the fact that recycling has a few extra "steps" than landfilling rubbish which can unfortunately discourage people.

5.Who do you think are doing the best to stop plastic pollution in the ocean (what organization)

Envirohub does a pretty good job 😊 but it is a hard choice. Locally Waste Watchers, they are making big changes here in the Bay and nationally I would say Sustainable Coastlines as their data directly influences governments which has informed big policy changes.

6.What do you think is the biggest problem from plastic in the ocean

Simply the large scale of plastic- all types of plastic are an issue but the sheer quantity of plastic is the real issue as it is now found everywhere and therefore affecting all marine life and subsequently, humans.

7.What do you think is the best solution to solving plastic pollution in the ocean

Single use plastics have to be stopped at the source and without policies and laws to stop its production and consumption "the tap" won't stop flowing. A Circular Economy would be the solution which means every piece of plastic would never get thrown out, it will always be reused, repurposed or recycled.

8.If we don't do anything what do you think will happen to the ocean say 100 years

Many of the marine species we know will likely have become extinct which will also affect land animals as well and the health of humans will also be compromised.

9.Do you think we'll stop using plastic for things

I think here in New Zealand many single use plastics will become banned much like plastic bags and I think many countries globally will also do this. I don't think all plastic will ever go away. Industries such as Health and Medicine rely on plastic for hygiene and plastics which are not single use (like worm farms and kayaks) cause much less harm than single use plastics at the end of their life.

Hopefully that helps you Finn, let me know if you need anything else, further information or clarification on my answers.

Kind regards, Liesel

What I think is the best solution

I believe the best solution for saving the ocean from plastic pollution isn't cleaning, but finding the solution to address the heart of the problem, which is us. The best solution is finding ways we can reduce plastic, and recycling more, so the plastics we do use get reused etc. Where we have to use plastic we need to stop using plastics that can’t be easily recycled. We need to find alternatives to plastic and invest in technologies that use biodegradable plastics made from things like seaweed etc that can be easily composted at home and not cause the problems traditional plastic causes. All these things are something we can all do to help save the ocean from plastic.

Conclusion

In conclusion I’ve highlighted some of the problems of plastic pollutants and discussed some of the solutions. I’ve heard from an expert and I've shown what I think the best solution is. I really hope this inspires readers to make better decisions about plastics and I encourage you to get involved to make changes to your plastic use and help with this problem and spread the word.

Bibliography

1.https://www.greenpeace.org/global/

2.https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/oceans/take-action/10-.things-you-can-do-to-save-the-ocean/

3.https://oceana.org

4.https://www.condorferries.co.uk/marine-ocean-pollution-statistics-facts

5.https://theoceancleanup.com/milestones/system001/

6.https://theoceancleanup.com/milestones/global-scale-up/

7.https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/07/plastic-produced-recycling-waste-ocean-trash-debris-environment/

8.https://dipndive.com/blog/easy-things-you-can-do-to-save-the-ocean/

9.https://www.conservation.org/priorities/oceans

10.https://www.marineinsight.com/environment/15-brave-organisations-fighting-save-oceans/amp/

11.https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/06/plastic-planet-h112.ealth-pollution-waste-microplastics/