Trash in the oceans is an environmental problem that is increasingly becoming a global threat. To begin to solve this problem, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has launched a global campaign to eliminate all major sources of ocean litter by 2022.
The most predominant source of garbage is plastic and its indiscriminate use by human beings. What does this program aim to achieve?
Are there more plastics than fish in the sea?
The UN has asked governments to implement policies that contribute to reduction in the consumption and use of plastics, both in packaging and in supermarkets and others. They also ask that consumers end the habit of using and throwing away plastics and plastic products.
The dumping of this garbage in the ocean is causing serious damage to flora and fauna. If the rate of pollution continues like this, the damage that occurs in the oceans may become irreversible. Near to 90 percent of all the garbage that floats in the oceans is plasticTherefore, the organization asked the industry to minimize packaging made with this material.
As technologies increase and everything is more processed, the consumption of plastic increases and, therefore, the number of tons of plastic waste that is generated. More than 8 million tons of these plastics are being generated and released into the ocean each year. This is equivalent to seeing a garbage truck full of plastics every minute at sea.
If we continue at this rate, the UN estimates that by 2050, there will be more plastics in the sea than fish. In addition, 99% of seabirds will have accidentally ingested plastic, which can lead to death.
The damage caused to marine ecosystems by the continuous dumping of plastics into the sea, amounts to 8.000 million dollars, since they not only harm the flora and fauna of the place, but also affect fishing, its performance and tourism. Tourists do not want to bathe in dirty beaches and coasts full of floating plastic.
“The time has come to tackle the problem of plastic that damages our oceans. Pollution from this material is already navigating the beaches of Indonesia, settles at the bottom of the ocean at the North Pole and reaches our tables through the food chain ”, commented the executive director of UNEP, Erik Solheim.
The countries that most support this campaign
This campaign is supported by many countries, but among the most we find Uruguay. This country is committed to tax single-use bags later this year. On the other hand, another country that supports this campaign is Costa Rica, whose measures it wants to carry out is to reduce the amount of plastics used and dumped thanks to an improvement in waste management and adequate environmental education.
The objective of this campaign and of these countries that support it is to reduce the use of plastic bags through regulations that address all of these issues. In addition, it is intended to provide alternatives for workers in the waste sector to develop educational programs and plans that inform the population about the impact that the use of plastic bags has on the environment.
Cosmetics also pollute the oceans
We are not only talking about plastic bags, but also about microbeads that are used in cosmetic products. These microplastic particles amount to more than 51 billion units and are capable of fouling the seas, seriously threatening marine flora and fauna.
The organization hopes to announce progress in its fight against plastic in the oceans during the Oceans Conference to be held in June in New York and during the Environment Assembly scheduled for December in Nairobi.