Ocean plastic waste - alarming numbers

09/06/2022 - 10:00 AM  

The amount of plastic waste discharged into the ocean is increasing, and pollution problems and the effects of plastic waste pollution, especially microplastics in marine ecosystems, are alarming. Not only in Vietnam but also around the world, there are still not many studies on ocean plastic waste as well as the effects and harms of plastic waste and microplastics on the marine environment, which is important. The concern is that the problem of plastic waste management, in general, is still limited.

A recent report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows that, in 2021, the world will use 460 million tons of plastic, nearly double the figure recorded in 2000. Although garbage plastic waste increased, only 15% was found to have been collected for recycling, but only 9% was recycled, and the remaining 6% was treated as waste. Much plastic has been leaked into the aquatic environment, with 1.7 million tons flowing into the ocean in 2019. An estimated 30 million tons of plastic waste in the ocean and another 109 million tons accumulated in rivers.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has also released a report on the state of ocean plastic waste. The WWF report is a compilation of more than 2,000 separate studies on the negative effects of plastic waste on the oceans, biodiversity, and marine ecology. Accordingly, WWF said that plastic waste has appeared in the most remote and primitive regions of the earth such as the Arctic ice, and in fish species that live in the deepest part of the ocean, the Mariana Trench.

According to this report, every year, between 19 and 23 million tons of plastic waste is dumped into the sea, most of which are single-use plastic products. This trash accounts for 60% of ocean pollution.

Studies show that plastic waste in the ocean originates from land, and is swept along with runoff from urban areas, due to overflowing sewers, littering, waste from industrial and construction activities, etc. Plastic pollution in the ocean also originates from the fishing industry, maritime activities, and aquaculture. Under the action of ultraviolet radiation, wind, currents, and other natural factors, plastic decomposes into small particles called microplastics or nano plastics. Their small size makes them easily to be accidentally ingested by sea creatures.

According to a 2021 study, out of 555 fish species examined, 386 have ingested plastic waste. Another study conducted with commercially caught fish found that 30% of cod caught in a North Sea catch contained microplastics in their stomachs.

The WWF report says that 88% of the marine species it studies are affected severely by plastic pollution. At least 2,144 species must live in an environment of plastic pollution. The report also predicts that plastic production will double by 2040, quadrupling the amount of plastic waste in the ocean. Every year, about 14 million tons of plastic waste end up in the ocean.

 Photo: Internet  

When in water, the plastic begins to decompose, becoming smaller and even so small that it cannot be seen with the naked eye. Therefore, even if the problem of environmental pollution in the ocean is completely stopped, the number of microplastics here could still double by 2050. Meanwhile, plastic waste continues to dump into the sea with the volume increasing by 2 times by 2040, according to estimates. Around the same time, WWF predicts that ocean plastic pollution will triple. And according to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), a new tragedy is formed when there are more microplastics in the ocean than there are known stars in the universe, with up to 12,000 microplastics per liter of water.

In particular, in the last 2 years, when the Covid-19 pandemic took place globally, the amount of plastic waste generated by the Covid-19 epidemic was overloaded and the collection and treatment of countries became more and more difficult. Studies show that the Covid-19 pandemic has generated about 26 thousand tons of plastic waste, equivalent to 2,000 double-decker buses discharging into the ocean, which, is mainly personal protective equipment such as masks, and gloves.

Scientists predict that by the end of this century, nearly all the plastic waste associated with the Covid-19 pandemic will have washed up on the surface of the sea or deep in the ocean floor. Notably, the main types of plastic waste come from medical waste sources in hospitals. This fact has posed a long-term problem in the protection of the marine environment, especially on the ocean surface and coastal sediments.

Chinese research shows that the rate of plastic waste generated by the Covid-19 pandemic is highest in Asia at 46%, the leading cause is the use of many masks, followed by Europe at 24%, and North and South America at 22%.

There is currently insufficient evidence to estimate the potential consequences of plastic pollution in the oceans for humans, says WWF. However, the report finds the existence of fossil fuel-based substances in every area of ​​the sea, from the surface of the sea to the depths of the ocean, from the poles to the coastlines of remote islands, and from the smallest plankton to whales - the largest species living in the sea. With plastic pollution on a global scale, the cost of removing plastic from the environment is enormous. Therefore, most solutions to plastic pollution problem focus on preventing plastic waste or limiting the use of plastic products.

In Vietnam, plastic pollution is also at an alarming rate. According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), in 2018, Vietnam is one of the countries with the largest amount of plastic waste discharged into the sea, with the volume of plastic waste in the sea ranging from 0.28-0.73 million tons/year, equivalent to 6% of the total amount of plastic waste in the sea and ranked 4th out of the 20 highest countries. The plastic consumption index per capita in Vietnam increased rapidly from 3.8 kg/year/person in 1990, increased to 54 kg/year/person in 2018, of which 37.43% of products are packaging and 29.26% are household items (Vietnam Plastics Association, 2019).

Some coastal cities such as Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and Ho Chi Minh City have a lot of plastic waste floating in the sea from urban and domestic waste sources, agriculture, hospital, aquaculture, and marine transportation. Only in Ha Long city (Quang Ninh), every day the authorities collect about 7 tons of solid waste to bring to the shore for treatment. After 3 waste collection campaigns from 2016 to 2019, at 4 km of Ha Long Bay, 4 tons of waste were collected, mainly plastic waste and plastic bags.

In Cat Ba (Hai Phong), over 50% of the aquaculture foam floats are in old, broken, torn condition, floating around the aquaculture area; 4.1% of plastic waste from restaurants and 7.9% of plastic waste from hotels cannot be recycled. Cat Hai district collects 10 m3/day of waste floating in the Gulf, of which 70% is plastic.

Facing alarming numbers of ocean pollution caused by plastic waste, WWF has stated that plastic waste is a threat to marine ecosystems in many places. The most worrying is that plastic waste pollutes marine animals' entire food web.

Experts also say that similar to the current climate crisis, to solve the problem of plastic pollution in the oceans, it is necessary to cut carbon emissions to limit the increase in global temperature. In addition, it is also necessary to set goals to limit plastic waste dumped into the sea. Currently, some seas in the world such as the Mediterranean Sea and the Yellow Sea have reached the limit for plastic waste. Therefore, it is necessary to act quickly to achieve the goal of neutralizing emissions and pollution as soon as possible. Recently, at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) session in Kenya in March 2022, 175 countries adopted a resolution to start negotiations toward the first international treaty on ending plastic waste pollution. Accordingly, an intergovernmental committee was established to negotiate to complete a legally binding agreement on plastic waste by 2024.

Under the treaty framework for negotiation, countries will discuss effective ways to reduce and eliminate plastic waste in all its forms, not just bottles, straws, and single-use plastic items that go into the ocean, but including microplastics in the air, soil, and food.

In Vietnam, many strategies have been implemented to reduce plastic waste and protect the environment. In 2020, the National Assembly of Vietnam passed the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, which added regulations on the reduction, reuse, recycling, and treatment of plastic waste; limit the use of single-use plastic products and non-biodegradable plastic bags; encourage the production of environmentally friendly products to replace traditional plastic products.

Along with that, according to the National Action Plan on ocean plastic waste management, by 2030, Vietnam will reduce 75% of ocean plastic waste; 100% of lost or discarded fishing gear will be collected; 100% of resorts, tourist attractions, tourist accommodation, and other tourist service establishments along the coast will not use disposable plastic products and non-degradable plastic bags; 100% of protected areas will have no plastic waste…

Gia Linh  

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