PLASTIC SMOG
How much plastic is in the ocean?
PLASTIC SMOG ALERT:
There are more than 170 trillion pieces of plastic afloat in the world’s oceans, but solutions start on land.
Almost a decade after the first Global Estimate of Marine Plastic Pollution was published, we brought many of the original leaders in ocean plastic research back together to determine an updated estimate of ocean plastic. The new global estimate analyzes trends of ocean plastic from 1979 to 2019, revealing that there are more than 170 trillion plastic particles, weighing approximately 2 million tonnes, afloat in the world’s oceans.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OCEAN PLASTIC POLLUTION AND POLICY MEASURES
With over 10,000 samples, we created a 40-year trend of plastic particles floating in the oceans. Before the year 2000, there was very little change over time, but this also marks a period with limited data. After 2005, the amount of plastic skyrockets. This period also marks an increase in plastic pollution from rivers and coastlines, and plastic already adrift or lying near dynamic coastlines could be fragmenting into smaller and more abundant particles.
Policy mechanisms are another piece of the puzzle. In the 1970s and 1980s, legally-binding policies came into effect. Maritime law regulated dumping at sea and international agreements for ocean conservation were legally binding and enforceable, so countries that agreed to join these treaties and agreements could be fined heavily for violations. Policies were also introduced in the 1990s, but were mostly voluntary. The difference between legally binding and voluntary can make the difference between success and failure.
Our data shows an increase in ocean plastic pollution at the same time as a decrease in effective laws and agreements. There are many factors to consider (e.g., increases in production and waste, fragmentation of existing plastics), but the need for legally binding agreements cannot be overstated.
TAKE ACTION: Join us in demanding a strong global plastics treaty.
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