Scientists predict that, by 2050, the amount of plastic produced will be around 4 times as large as the figure is today and that at this point there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish. This is a scary prospect and there is a need for leaders across the world to help change this into a more positive vision for the future.
A step in the right direction has been made recently with the United Nations Environment Assembly meeting in Kenya to discuss the proposition of a global plastic waste treaty. Representatives from 173 countries around the world have agreed a treaty, that could make it mandatory for all countries to reduce their plastic production and increase the amount of plastic they sustainably dispose of, that will be negotiated over the next two years.
Dr Julia Reiss, a Freshwater Ecologist from the University of Roehampton, states, “It is obvious that we need international legislation to start work in this regard. Looking at the draft resolution, it is worth highlighting that the marine environment is mentioned specifically. However, it is not yet clear if the current plastic legacy that is stored in landfill and the environment will be tackled.”
This treaty is vitally important in the fight against plastic pollution as it is becoming increasingly apparent that this problem needs to be stopped at its source. Although clean-up missions such as the trash wheels in Baltimore and the giant U-shaped tube being used in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch are very useful in managing the amount of plastic in our oceans, it is clear that there is just simply too much plastic being produced and finding its way into the oceans for any clean-up mission to offset. In fact, statista.com states that in 2020, an estimated 367 million tonnes of plastic was produced worldwide and according to nationalgeographic.com, 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the oceans every year, much of which is delivered by streams and rivers. This shows that the plastic pollution crisis is practically impossible to solve, unless these figures are reduced.
Additionally, scientists believe that every single piece of plastic ever made is still out there. This shows that the durability of plastic, which is one of the main reasons it is so widely used, is also why it is so harmful to our oceans. For the same reason, most alternatives to plastic are either not durable enough to serve their purpose or too durable, meaning that it takes years to decompose and would pose similar problems to plastic; meaning that manufacturers are unlikely to change to a more sustainable material in the near future. The durability of plastic also shows that this problem needs to be managed soon, before the amount of plastic on Earth and in our oceans reaches an uncontrollable amount.
Dr Reiss remarked, “It is important that the public understands that the plastic crisis we are observing right now is just the beginning of a plastic wave yet to swamp rivers and the ocean.” She then went on to conclude, “Everyone can make consumer choices to avoid single use plastics and even take part in clean up campaigns.”
