OCEAN PLASTICS
Around 350 million tonnes of plastic waste per year - OurWorldInData. Most countries have systems in place to recycle reuse or manage plastic waste but we are still mass consumers of plastics with production increasing. If we look at the issue in relation to the oceans, there are vast quantities getting into the ocean. GreenMatch suggests the equivalent of one trash truck’s worth of plastic waste is being dumped in the ocean every minute!
Causes of Ocean Waste
The main causes of ocean waste are largely defined as:
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Mismanagement (littering) and
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Lack of infrastructure (no means for recycling or collection in place)
Because of this waste is simple discarded finding its way into rivers and eventually the ocean. It is believed that 1000 rivers are responsible for 80% of ocean waste - The Ocean Cleanup (there are over 150,000 rivers in the world.
The Philippines is one of the biggest offenders on the planet (image on the left) which is worth baring in mind as you set off to the paradise seen on the internet and in the magazines (us included).
There is a correlation between proximity to a coast line and quantity of plastics entering the oceans. If you combine this with the lack of government strategy it is easy to see how the archipelagic country and incredibly popular tourist destination is struggling.
The effects are already colossal, the UN reports that by 2050, 99% of all marine based birds will have of ingested plastic.
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National Geographic report that sea turtles often confuse plastics for their favourite food (jellies), and that, Albatrosses mistake plastic resin pellets for fish eggs and feed them to chicks, which die of starvation or ruptured organs.
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The chances of disease on a coral reef are enhanced by 22-fold by plastics - EarthDay
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There are entanglement issues which are heart breaking every time they appear on news channels.
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You may have also heard of the Great Pacific Garbage patch, trash that is caught up in ocean currents clustering together to form islands of rubbish! So how do we go forward?
Effects
Combating Plastic Waste
We are going to look at the bottom-up techniques for backpackers and explorers.
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Single use plastics, this is the biggest no.1 consideration for helping. The easiest and best way to do this is through your water bottle, take one with you. I have been using a Grayl bottle for a few years now. This bottle has filters that allow you to fill up you bottle from almost any supply, its not cheap, although does work out cheaper than buying water from single use sources as each filter provides around 250L of purified water.
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Make sure your hostel either provides or has filtered water, not all do so if you have a Grayl you are always safe.
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Naturally, leave it as you found it (or better still, cleaner). Beach clean ups are a great way to get involved, in Mexico various hostels in Puerto Escondido organised beach clean ups, a great and easy way to give back with a small commitment, its also a great way to meet people.
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Use Soap Bars where possible and if you are decanting into 100mm bottles then get aluminium bottles.
Welcome to the section on retrofitting a solution to the problem. You may have seen companies like The Ocean Cleanup. This company is taking on the ocean at a grand scale attempting to encircle vast amounts of waste in the open ocean or cut the waste of as it passed through rivers. Below you can see the encircling method where two tug boats pull a vast line through the open water to skim the top layers of plastics from the ocean.
What Initiatives Are There?
On the right is one of the river barrier options called 'Mr.Trash Wheel' located in the estuary before the Baltimore Harbor since 2014. Mr. Trash Wheel has intercepted 638,594 plastic bags, 1,000,000 styrofoam containers, 150 miles of cigarette butts, and one ball python. Waste is funneled to a conveyor belt which the cutely designed machine 'eats'. Great work Mr. Trash wheel.
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Below Volunteering organisations like the Marine Conservation Philippines (MCP) which is a non prophets NGO offer paid volunteer places where you can survey coral, educate local children or build one of projects like artificial reefs (if required).
Mr. Trash Wheel
Be Prepared.
Final Words, The best thing you can do is be prepared from day 01, this will largely come down to what's in or clipped onto you bag. I have put some links to sustainable products below through our affiliate links. Even if you choose not to buy through us, please consider the sustainability, of what you are buying, try to avoid plastic where possible and ask yourself. What will happen to this product once I have finished with it.