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Forum:
Environmental Commission
Issue:
Combating Plastic Pollution in Oceans
Student Officer:
Fatima Abdeen
Position:
Deputy Chair
Introduction
As the world’s population continues to increase, so does the quantity of waste that people
produce. Disposable products, of which include plastic bottles or plastic bags, lead to the
accumulation of the products thus globally multiplying the amount of plastic pollution present.
Plastic is made up of extremely toxic pollutants and has the potential to result in extreme harm
to the environment, such as eutrophication; the destruction of natural habitats and eradication
of species, in all its forms of pollution, despite the fact that plastic can contribute to reducing
our carbon footprint. It not only harms the environment but costs the governments a great
amount to undo these errors. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) states that the
financial damage that plastic has caused stands at 13 billion US dollars. However, the disposal
of plastic is the main issue that has yet to be addressed.
What leads the world to the overconsumption of plastic products is its appealing qualities
of which are its versatility, flexibility, strength, and inexpensive cost. Due to plastic durability
and time it takes for it to degrade, plastic stays for a great amount of time, even up to 1000
years. Over-consumption, disposal and littering of plastic, combined with the massive allure to
plastic and its uses, create the ultimate recipe for a massacre to the environment. Not all
governments regulate the use of plastic, but some, like India do. India is the largest consumer
of plastic products and has made attempts to regulate it by implementing legislations such as
the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986, and later the Plastic Waste (Management and
Handling) Rules of 2011. However, it is not enough as India is still one of the top 20 countries
who produce the most plastic waste which is dumped into the ocean.
With over 220 million tons of plastic being produced each year, according to UNESCO,
the rate of pollution grows exponentially. Today, as stated by the Centre for Biodiversity,
around 40% of the world's ocean is covered up with plastic, however, this only accounts to the
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plastic that floats. Beneath the surface of the ocean, lies a greater dilemma called gyres.
Gyres are particularly harmful as they end up destroying many habitats, kill countless marine
life and most importantly create dead-zones. There are currently 5 gyres in our oceans. The
most significant being the North Pacific Gyre, also known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch,
possessing a reasonably stationary area that is twice the size of Texas. The North Pacific
Gyre’s plastic pieces outnumber sea life six to one. Waste materials from across the North
Pacific Ocean, consisting of Coastal waters off North America and Japan, are piled up
together.
Slowly but surely, many species are being wiped out. In regards to whales, plastic cannot
be digested, therefore it sits idly in their stomach and eventually causes the digestive tract to
become blocked. This means that they are incapable of eating any real food so as a result,
starvation and gastric rupture kill the whale. Plastic found in oceans does not only affect
whales, but also turtles. Jellyfish are the main food that turtles eat, but instead of identifying
the jellyfish, turtles see translucent materials such as plastic bags and mistake them for
jellyfish. Much of the plastic gets stuck in their throats, leading to death by suffocation.
Moreover, as a result of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch being in close proximity to the
island of Midway Atoll, which is a refuge and home to nearly three million Birds, mostly
consisting of albatross, over 12% of the time these birds instead find plastic rather than food
when hunting. In addition to the accidental consumption of plastic, animals are also put at risk
due to marine debris, which entangles them into old fishing nets and lines. Should an animal
be caught on to items such as a six-pack ring, circulation can cut off as the animal grows, as
well as breathing stopped.
Animals aren’t the only ones being affected, coral is too. Corals consume microplastics plastics measuring less than 5 millimetres - in the sea at the same rate as their normal food,
however cannot expel these fragments. When excessive plastic is consumed, the coral suffers
a slow process of starvation, ultimately dying.
Furthermore, humans suffer the consequences as well. Bisphenol A, a chemical that is
used to make hard, clear plastic called polycarbonate, is produced at over 7 billion pounds a
year. Because it is a non-recyclable plastic, it is disposed of into the environment. Europe,
Asia, and the USA have given evidence which shows that every person examined, has these
chemicals in their bodies. In fact, women who had a higher percentage of Bisphenol A, ended
up having more miscarriages and less of a chance in having successful pregnancy. Bisphenol
A and its compounds are lypophilic, thus attach to fat. Therefore when smaller fish get eaten
by bigger fish, such as tuna, the levels of the toxins are accumulated from previous fish -
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bioaccumulation. As a result, when humans eat fish, they end up with all the accumulation of
toxins from their food.
Until solutions arise, animals, coral and human will continue to suffer the consequences of
careless factories and people. The litter generated has to decrease so that less live are lost,
as is it already hard to put an estimate on the casualties, of which is estimated to be around
100,000 dead animals a year.
Definition of Key Terms
Plastic pollution
Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic products in an environment that negatively
affects the wildlife, habitats and or humans. Based on their size, plastics that act as pollutants
are categorized into micro-, meso-, or macrodebris.
Gyres
Gyres form when plastic material and litter become concentrated in particular areas as a
result of ocean currents which gather the marine pollution.
Dead zones
Dead zone is the common term for hypoxia which refers to the reduced level of oxygen in
the water. Hypoxic zones are areas in the ocean which contain such a severely low oxygen
concentration that animal life suffocates and dies, hence the term dead zones.
Biodegradable
Should an article be biodegradable, it means that it has the capability of being
decomposed naturally, by bacteria or other living organisms. It is less damaging to the
environment than normal plastic. Currently, majority of plastic is not biodegradable.
Bisphenol A
Bisphenol A, also known as BPA, is a chemical which is produced in the production of
polycarbonate plastics. It is toxic to both animals and humans, and is capable of leaching into
various areas such as the oceans, fish and food. It is commonly used in plastic bottles to
achieve transparency.
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Macroplastics
Microplastics are responsible for making up the majority of the Great Pacific Garbage
Patch. They measure to be over 5 millimetres, the largest size category of plastics, and exist in
high quantities in the ocean.
Microplastics
Microplastics are the smallest size category a plastic can break down to. Generally,
microplastics are smaller than 5 millimetres, thus are able to be ingested and accumulated in
many aquatic organisms bodies and tissue.
Background Information
Almost 8 million tons of plastic gets dumped into the world’s ocean per year. Thanks to
recent research, it is evident that the major contributors of this waste are China, Indonesia, the
Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. These five countries account up to 60 percent of the plastic
pollution entering the oceans. It is projected by 2025, consumption of plastic in Asia will rise to
a staggering 80 percent which surpasses 200 million tons. If no steps and precautions are
taken to dispose of this waste properly, the ocean could encompass one ton of plastic for
every three tons of fish.
Plastic is usually made from crude oil, after its extraction, refinement and cracking. It can
also be obtained from natural gas using roughly with the same methods of extraction and
cracking as crude oil, but the plastic industry as a raw material for plastic making thanks to its
high ethane content. The sources for these types of plastic is limited and can run out, thus are
more expensive due to market fluctuations. Bioplastics, also know as PLA (PolyLactic Acid),
are acquired from renewable biomass sources like tuber (sweet potatoes), cereal
(wheat/corn), sugar production plants (sugar cane), oleaginous plants (castor oil) or protein
rich plants. A majority of these plant based plastics are capable of replacing petrochemical
processes and are biodegradable, do not use limited resources and are cheaper than plastics
derived from crude oil or natural gas. However, biomass sources consume a lot of water and
therefore researcher are looking for other processes that are drier and more cost-effective.
Vietnam, the fifth major contributor to the disposal of plastic in oceans, is also the second
largest importer of plastic materials. Despite plastic being expensive to import, Vietnam’s
internal market is increasingly demanding for hi-tech plastic products. Prior to 2004, Vietnam
would mostly manufacture its plastics using plastic resin but now, to comply with increasing
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demands, have started to import and use cheaper plastic scrap. Although they have started to
use plastic scrap, the country still has to deal with its high expenses. Vietnam will struggle to
replace its plastic with bioplastics as its two largest industry organizations are plastic
manufacturers.
India, another high plastic polluting country, has tried to limit the plastic industry's effects.
Unlike Vietnam, it has implemented numerous legislations addressing the plastic industry and
the environment. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 attempts to prevent
and reduce its impact on oceans as well as its restoration, and The Environment (Protection)
Act of 1986 further aids the previous act in achieving its aims. India has also put into action the
The Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules of 2011, which address the plastic carry
bag industry and the packaging industry. It implements regulations and rules for the industry to
abide by.
Major Countries and Organisations Involved
International Coastal Cleanup
The International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) was launched in 1986 by the Ocean
Conservancy, the Centre for Marine Conservation. It is annual event which has grown into the
largest volunteer effort to collect data on the marine environment. It is held on the third
Saturday of September, and engages the public in removing the waste and trash from the
coast, beaches, underwater, waterways and on lands thus identifying the source of waste. It is
a global action taken from across the world, marine debris collected from over a thousand
sites. It has involved many countries and in 2008, the 23rd ICC reported that 104 countries
took part and had participated in the action. From the 2008 report from the ICC, it was also
found that the plastic debris had increased by 126 percent since its first survey back in 1994.
Plastic bags and food wrappers were the most common item collected.
China
China currently is the highest consumer of plastic and is not disposing of it properly. At
this moment, it is responsible for an estimated third of the world’s plastic entering the oceans.
China’s heavily populated coastline cities, contributed an astonishing 1.3 million and 3.5
million tonnes of waste. This is because the plastic debris which has no value for recycling is
either dumped in waterways, which eventually lead and end up in the sea, or burned directly.
In rural areas, it is extremely common due to no waste management taking place.
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However, despite being the biggest aggressor of plastic pollution in oceans, China had put
a ban in 2008, on thin plastic bags and plastic foam. Unfortunately, the enforcement was quite
lax and eventually in 2013, the prohibition on plastic foams was lifted. Even when the ban was
enforced, 15 billion disposable plastic items were still being produced every year.
United States of America
The USA is ranked 20 on the list of countries contributing to the highest percentage of
plastic waste. While it is still and aggressor, the USA has accomplished some breakthroughs
as a law was previously passed on restricting the disposal of plastics into the ocean in 1987.
The Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act (MARPOL), made it illegal for an U.S.
ship, vessel or land-based operation to dump plastics in the sea, in December 31st of 1998.
Moreover, in at least 16 states, including New York and Massachusetts, laws required six-pack
holders to be biodegradable and photodegradable, where plastics were made to become
weaker and more brittle with the exposure to sunlight for prolonged periods. The USA has also
banned the use of microbeads in products such as cosmetics.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
UNESCO signed three agreements, the Seat Agreement, Operational Agreement, and the
Cooperation Agreement in 2003. Through these signings, UNESCO-IHE, an institute, was
established.
The agreements include rules that guarantee functional autonomy to achieve the Institute's
objectives. The institute provides a wide range of services for target groups in developing
countries which include education, training and scientific research which help engineers,
scientists, water sector professionals and decision-makers working in water and environmental
sectors. UNESCO-IHE also helps develop capacity development for water sector ministries and
other organisations to further advance their skills.
The reason UNESCO-IHE is allowed functional autonomy is because UNESCO-IHE is
essential in catalysing the solutions for water challenges of the water sector. UNESCO-IHE
builds the strong foundation of knowledge for experts to improve the water management
practices in the water sector.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP launched the Regional Seas Programme in 1974 after the wake of the 1972 United
Nations Conference on the Human Environment which was held in Stockholm. It is one of
UNEP’s most important accomplishments in the past 35 years.
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The Regional Seas Programmes aims to address the acceleration of the degradation of the
world’s oceans and coasts. They do this through the sustainable management of the coastal
and marine environment, engaging other countries in taking actions to protect their shared
marine area.
India
Although India is also one of the main culprits aiding the pollution of the oceans, it has tried to
combat them by implementing several legislations. The Environment (Protection) Act of 1986,
which was the first major administration by the Indian government, and it aimed to establish a
good protection system for the environment. It also allowed the central government to regulate
all forms of waste and to handle problems that may present themselves in India. It is still
stands as India’s main legislation which covers the many rules and acts concerning the
Environment. Also, The Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules of 2011, which
intended to regulate the the packaging of food products in recycled plastics and to ma nage the
severe littering problem.
Relevant UN Treaties and Events
▪ The Ross Agreement
▪ The Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act (MARPOL)
▪ International Marine Debris Conference
▪ The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
▪ UN Fish Stocks Agreement
▪ The Millennium Development Goals
▪ The Action Plan for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and
Coastal Environment of the Northwest Pacific Region (NOWPAP)
Previous Attempts to solve this Issue
It was only recently that any solutions have been made. The ICC have made an impact by
reducing the plastic entering our oceans through their annual cleanups but the Ross
Agreement, signed by
the European Union and 24 other nations, was the biggest
breakthrough in the aim of saving the seas yet. It established the world's largest marine park in
the Southern Ocean and was brokered in Australia, after five years of endless compromises
and failed negotiations. It protects more than 1.5 million square kilometers of the Ross Sea
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around Antarctica. This is not only a breakthrough for environmentalists but also for scientists,
as it is believed the Ross Sea is one of the last untouched natural habitats. Scientist can
research what a pristine environment looks like in the hopes of attaining and implementing
their research to other parts of the sea, and identify more climate change factors and studies.
However, the agreement is set to expire in 35 years.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), created the regional seas programme
which established The Action Plan for the Protection, Management and Development of the
Marine and Coastal Environment of the Northwest Pacific Region (NOWPAP). This was a big
development in the attainment of lessening the pollution in the oceans as NOWPAP has
adopted the Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter in 2007. Thus, through NOWPAP,
implementation of global action and protection of specific regions was realised, and CEARAC
(Special Monitoring and Coastal Environment Assessment Regional Activity Centre), DINRAC
(Data and Information Network Regional Activity Centre), MERRAC (Marine Environmental
Emergency Preparedness and Response Regional Activity Centre), POMRAC (Pollution
Monitoring Regional Activity Centre) were established to support the implementation.
Possible solutions
To solve this issue, there are many ways including short, medium and long term
solutions. Proposing bans on certain elements of the manufacturing of plastic such as the
use of BPA, would reduce the effects on both humans and the environment. Setting up
beach and coastal cleanups, thereby taking a note from the ICC, would also alleviate the
drastic figures of plastic. Issuing fines and additional inspections to plastic waste sites can
also help.
Implementing more agreements in the protection of seas, therefore banning fishing and
disposal in such sites will protect both the seas and fish from the pollution and fishing of
other entities. It would not only allow for more protected sites, but will further the research
of climate change and pollution just as the Ross Agreement is doing. The next areas to be
protected should be more sections of Antarctica's surrounding seas.
The first and foremost step would be to develop basic waste collection infrastructure
and cut down on waste leakage in transportation and landfills. The treatment of waste only
starts to become competent and successful when working at a large scale. To truly
incentivise this change, this would also entail to the collaboration between both private and
public sectors.
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The implementation of commercially feasible waste treatment processes should be the
next step taken. It would include the increased recycling infrastructure which would catch
more valuable segment of the plastic waste stream. Moreover, other than recycling,
converting the plastic waste into a fuel or energy, is an attainable method to heavily cut
down on the plastic waste leakage. The methods used could be through means of
gasification or incineration.
The most important step which would bring about long term effects would be to change
the way in which we use plastic as well as what type of plastic. The processes used in
plastics treatment and its recovery would also need to undergo a change as well. This
would be the most sustainable plastic waste solution as it would combine both regulations
and incentives to motivate and stimulate the private sector into a real change.
Bibliography
Facts and figures on marine pollution | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization
UN News Center | General Assembly, Stressing Importance of Healthy Oceans, Seas for Both
Coastal, Landlocked States, Adopts Resolution on Sustainable Fisheries without Vote | Meetings
Coverage and Press Releases
Ocean Plastics Pollution | OCEAN PLASTICS POLLUTION: A Global Tragedy for Our Oceans and
Sea Life
Science | Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean
EcoWatch | These 5 Countries Account for 60% of Plastic Pollution in Oceans, June 27, 2016
The Guardian | World's largest marine park created in Ross Sea in Antarctica in landmark deal |
Guardian News and Media
Home | About UNESCO-IHE
Appendix or Appendices
I.
http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-plastic-pollution.php
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This website is useful as it contains basic information required to understand plastic
pollution in its simplest forms. It explains plastic pollution, its causes, and its solutions.
II.
http://nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ocean-gyre/
This website is useful as it explains, in explicit detail what gyres are, their formation, the types
and its movements. This information is required so as to understand how to produce a solution.