Assignment

Plastic Pollution in Beach

Ecosystem

W. L. T. D. Rathnayaka

UWU/AQT/17/038

100 level

Faculty of Animal Science & Export

Agriculture
Introduction
The world population is living, working, vacationing, increasingly conglomerating along the
coasts, and standing on the front row of the greatest, most unprecedented, plastic waste tide ever
faced. Washed out on our coasts in obvious and clearly visible form, the plastic pollution spectacle
blatantly unveiling on our beaches is only the prelude of the greater story that unfolded further
away in the world’s
oceans, yet mostly
originating from
where we stand the
land.

For more than 50

years, global
production and
consumption of
plastics have
continued to rise.
An estimated 300
million tons of
plastics were
produced in 2015,
confirming and upward trend over the past years, our global plastic consumption worldwide has
been estimated at 260 million tons, and, according to a 2012 report by Global Industry Analysts,
plastic consumption is to reach 297.5 million tons by the end of 2015.

Plastic is versatile, lightweight, flexible, moisture resistant, strong, and relatively inexpensive.
Those are the attractive qualities that lead us, around the world, to such a voracious appetite and
over-consumption of plastic goods. However, durable and very slow to degrade, plastic materials
that are used in the production of so many products all, ultimately, become waste with staying
power. Our tremendous attraction to plastic, coupled with an undeniable behavioral propensity of
increasingly over-consuming, discarding, littering and thus polluting, has become a combination
of lethal nature.

Plastic pollution involves the accumulation of plastic products in the environment that adversely
affects wildlife, wildlife habitat, or humans. Many types and forms of plastic pollution exist.
Plastic pollution can adversely affect lands, waterways and oceans. Plastic reduction efforts have
occurred in some areas in attempts to reduce plastic consumption and promote plastic recycling.

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The prominence of plastic pollution is correlated with plastics being inexpensive and durable,
which lends to high levels of plastics used by humans.

Plastic pollution occurs in many forms, including but not limited to littering, marine debris (man-
made waste that has been released in a lake, sea, ocean, or waterway), plastic particle water
pollution, plastic netting and Friendly Floates. A large percentage of plastic produced each year is
used to make single-use, disposable packaging items or products which will get permanently
thrown out within one year. Often, consumers of the various types of plastics mainly use them for
one purpose and then discard or recycle them.

Plastic surrounds us. It is not just the obvious places like water bottles and straws. It is also used
to build our cars and is found in our face washes and fabrics. With the invention of plastic in the
early 20th century, we became a world that relished the privilege of cheap, easy-to-produce plastic
pieces. Plastic has many benefits it has allowed us to prevent heart attacks (stents that open up
arteries are often made of plastic) and provide water to people in need.

But it also has left a legacy of trash.

Depending on the type of plastic and where it lands, items can take days to hundreds of years to
break down into very small pieces, which likely never biodegrade. Because of these traits and our
intensive use of it, plastic trash is now found in essentially every ecosystem on the planet including
throughout the ocean. Tiny pieces of plastic are also now found in the food we eat and beverages
we drink. Plastic is, simply, unavoidable. There are ways we can change as a society, however we
can reduce our use of the substance (particularly in objects made to be used just once and then
discarded) and help to ensure it doesn’t end up where it shouldn’t.

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Facts about Plastic
What is plastic?
A simple definition could be: any of a group of synthetic or natural organic materials that may be
shaped when soft and then hardened, including many types of resins, resinoids, polymers, cellulose
derivatives, casein materials, and proteins: used in place of other materials, as glass, wood, and
metals, in construction and decoration, for making many articles, as coatings, and, drawn into
filaments, for weaving. They are often known by trademark names, as Bakelite, Vinylite, or Lucite.

In chemistry, plastics are large molecules, called polymers, composed of repeated segments, called
monomers, with carbon backbones. A polymer is simply a very large molecule made up of many
smaller units joined together, generally end to end, to create a long chain. The smallest building
block of a polymer is called a monomer. Polymers are divided into two distinct groups:
thermoplastics
(moldable) and
thermosets (not). The
word “plastics”
generally applies to the
synthetic products of
chemistry.

Alexander Parkes
created the first man-
made plastic and
publicly demonstrated it
at the 1862 Great
International Exhibition
in London. The material,
called parkesine, was an organic material derived from cellulose that, once heated, could be
molded and retained its shape when cooled.
Many, but not all, plastic products have a number – the resin identification code – molded, formed
or imprinted in or on the container, often on the bottom. This system of coding was developed in
1988 by the U.S.-based Society of the Plastics Industry to facilitate the recycling of post-consumer
plastics. It is indeed, quite interesting to go through the fine lines.

1. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) – Used in soft drink, juice, water, beer,
mouthwash, peanut butter, salad dressing, detergent, and cleaner containers. Leaches
antimony trioxide and (2ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP).
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2. DEHP is an endocrine disruptor that mimics the female hormone estrogen. It has been
strongly linked to asthma and allergies in children. It may cause certain types of cancer and
it has been linked to negative effects on the liver, kidney, spleen, bone formation, and body
weight. In Europe, DEHP has been banned since 1999 from use in plastic toys for children
under the age of three.
3. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) – Used in opaque milk, water, and juice containers,
bleach, detergent and shampoo bottles, garbage bags, yogurt and margarine tubs, and cereal
box liners. Considered a safer plastic. Research on risks associated with this type of plastic
is ongoing.
4. Polyvinyl chloride (V or Vinyl or PVC) – Used in toys, clear food and non-food packaging
(e.g., cling wrap), some squeeze bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil and peanut butter
jars, detergent and window cleaner bottles, shower curtains, medical tubing, and numerous
construction products (e.g., pipes, siding). DEHP and BBzP are endocrine disruptors
mimicking the female hormone estrogen; have been strongly linked to asthma and allergic
symptoms in children; may cause certain types of cancer; and linked to negative effects on
the liver, kidney, spleen, bone formation, and body weight.
5. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) – Used in grocery store, dry cleaning, bread and frozen
food bags, most plastic wraps, and squeezable bottles (honey, mustard). Considered a safer
plastic. Research on risks associated with this type of plastic is ongoing.
6. Polypropylene (PP) – Used in ketchup bottles, yogurt and margarine tubs, medicine and
syrup bottles, straws, and Rubbermaid and other opaque plastic containers, including baby
bottles. Considered a safer plastic. Research on risks associated with this type of plastic is
ongoing.
7. Polystyrene (PS) – Used in Styrofoam containers, egg cartons, disposable cups and bowls,
take-out food containers, plastic cutlery, and compact disc cases. Leaches styrene, an
endocrine disruptor mimicking the female hormone estrogen, and thus has the potential to
cause reproductive and developmental problems. Long-term exposure by workers has
shown brain and nervous system effects and adverse effects on red blood cells, liver,
kidneys, and stomach in animal studies. Also present in secondhand cigarette smoke, off
gassing of building materials, car exhaust, and possibly drinking water. Styrene migrates
significantly from polystyrene containers into the container’s contents when oily foods are
heated in such containers.
8. Other – This is a catchall category that includes anything that does not come within the
other six categories. As such, one must be careful in interpreting this category because it
includes polycarbonate – a dangerous plastic – but it also includes the new, safer,
biodegradable bio-based plastics made from renewable resources such as corn and potato
starch and sugar cane. Polycarbonate is used in many plastic baby bottles, clear plastic
sippy cups, sports water bottles, three and five gallon large water storage containers, metal
food can liners, some juice and ketchup containers, compact discs, cell phones, computers.

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Plastic Pollution
Plastic pollution is a global problem that is growing exponentially due to both an increase in
consumerism and an increase
in the number of plastics used
to manufacture the things we
use on a daily basis. Many of
these items are single-use
items, which are used once and
then tossed in the trash. It
doesn’t simply disappear into
thin air. It usually ends up in
the environment in some
manner or form, with a great
deal of it eventually ending up
in the ocean Arguably one of
the most pressing
environmental challenges that we are faced with today is marine plastic debris.

The two common sources marine debris originates from are:

 Land- based, which includes litter from beach-goers, as well as debris that has either blown
into the ocean or been washed in with storm water runoff; and
 Ocean- based, which includes garbage disposed at sea by ships and boats, as well as fishing
debris, such as plastic strapping from bait boxes, discarded fishing line or nets, and derelict
fishing gear.

A simple walk on any beach, anywhere, and the plastic waste spectacle is present. All over the
world the statistics are ever growing, staggeringly. Tons of plastic debris (which by definition are
waste that can vary in size from large containers, fishing nets to microscopic plastic pellets or even
particles) is discarded every year, everywhere, polluting lands, rivers, coasts, beaches, and oceans.

While discarded fishing gear takes its toll on the marine environment by entangling marine life
and destroying coral reefs, it only comprises an estimated 20% of all marine debris a staggering
80% of all marine debris stems from land-based sources. This is not that surprising, considering
that around 50% of all plastics are used to manufacture sing-use items which are discarded soon
after they are first used.

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How Much Plastic Pollution is in the Ocean?
A study published in 2017 estimated between 1.15 million to 2.41 million Tons of plastic enters
the oceans via rivers annually, with peak months being between May and October. The top 20
contributing rivers, which
according to the report are mostly
found in Asia, contribute around
67% of all plastics flowing into
the ocean from rivers around the
world.

The demand for plastic has

increased dramatically over the
last 70 years. According to Plastic
Ocean, 300 million tons of plastic
is produced globally every year.
Half of that plastic is used for
disposable items that will only be used once. As a result, more than 8 million tons of discarded
plastic ends up in our oceans every single year. Once it is there it doesn’t readily go away.The
World watch Institute estimates that the average American or European person typically uses 100
kilograms of plastic every year, most of which consists of packaging, and while it is estimated that
Asians currently only use an average of 20 kilograms per person, this is expected to rise due to
economic growth in the region.

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How Does Plastic Breakdown?
One of the characteristics that make plastic so popular for use in a wide range of industries is that
it is extremely durable and long-lasting. However, this trait also makes it persist in the
environment.

Plastics are photodegradable meaning that they break up into smaller and smaller pieces
when exposed to sunlight. Because the temperature they are exposed to in the ocean is much
lower than that on land, the breakdown process takes much longer in the marine
environment.

But while plastic debris is slowly breaking down in the ocean, more and more plastic is being
tossed or washed into the sea at a rate far faster than what it is breaking down. Consequently, there
is a LOT of plastic in the ocean it comes in all shapes, forms, and sizes, and is found floating on
the surface, suspended in the water column or littering the ocean floor, and eventually washes up
on beaches around the world, wreaking havoc with marine life in all these ecosystems.

According to a scientific report released by A Plastic Ocean, marine plastic debris has impacted
over 600 marine species from the bottom to the top of the food chain, many dying a slow agonizing
death through entanglement or ingesting plastic. According to Greenpeace’s report Plastic Debris
in the World’s Oceans: “At least 267 different species are known to have suffered from
entanglement or ingestion of marine debris including seabirds, turtles, seals, sea lions, whales, and
fish. The scale of contamination of the marine environment by plastic debris is vast. It is found
floating in all the world’s oceans, everywhere from polar regions to the equator.

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5 Gyres – The Oceans Garbage Patches & Micro-
Plastics Soup
Large volumes of this plastic
tend to accumulate within five
oceanic ‘garbage patches’, also
known as 5 gyres, located in the
Atlantic, Indian and Pacific
Oceans. The largest of these is
the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
which stretches across the
Pacific Ocean between Japan
and North America, with the
greatest concentration of
garbage lying in the stretch of ocean between California and Hawaii where scientists estimate
concentrations of plastic to be around 480,000 pieces per square kilometre. While large pieces of
plastic do accumulate in the gyre, rather than being an island of plastic, in reality this is more like
a plastic soup, consisting mostly of tiny bits of invisible microplastic.

Single Use Plastic Pollution – the Majority of Marine Waste

Plastics and polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) comprise 90% of all marine debris, with single-use
food and beverage containers being one of the most common items found in ocean and coastal
surveys. Plastic debris in the ocean varies greatly in size, from tiny microplastics that are invisible
to the naked eye to large pieces of plastic debris, such as discarded fishing gear, which can extend
for meters or in some cases even kilometers. According to the Ocean Conservancy’s International
Coastal Cleanup 2017 Report, if all the plastic bottles collected during the 2016 International
Coastal Cleanup were stacked they would have stood 372 times higher than Dubai’s towering Burj
Khalifa (828 meters high); all the plastic straws collected off beaches around the world would have
stood 145 times higher than the One World Trade Center in New York City (541 meters); while
all the plastic utensils collected would have stood 82 times higher than the Kuala Lumpur’s
Petronas Towers (452 meters), and all the cigarette lighters collected would have stood 10 times
higher than the Eiffel Tower in Paris (324 meters).

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What are Micro-Plastics?
Micro plastics are tiny pieces of plastic and are
now recognized as a major threat to wildlife and
to human health. Scientific research surveys
have revealed that micro plastics are widespread
throughout the world’s oceans, and are having a
negative impact on marine life, as well as the
health of humans who rely on seafood as a staple
protein source. Polystyrene beads and plastic
pellets are not easily digested so tend to
accumulate in the digestive tract of marine
animals who consume them. This can result in the animal feeling full, causing it to stop feeding,
leading to emaciation and ultimately death from starvation, or it can cause an intestinal blockage
that can also be fatal. When a predator feeds on a fish that has a gut full of undigested polystyrene
or plastic, this is passed on to the predator who in most cases will also have problems digesting it.

Plastic Micro-fibres Pollution in Our Ocean

Micro fibres from clothing and textiles are another key source of micro plastics in our oceans.
When we wash our clothes, fibres are shed into the washing water. Due to their minute size, these
fibres pass through wastewater treatment plants and end up in the ocean.

Microfibres have been found in many different ecosystems, including freshwater systems, ocean
waters, ocean sediments, and beaches around the world, indicating it is a worldwide problem that
is possibly growing.

1. Plastic packaging is lightweight, so it is easily blown or washed into rivers where it is

carried to the sea, or it may blow directly into the sea if not safely stowed by beach users
2. Plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, and because it readily floats it is often
mistaken for food by surface feeding animals, including fish and seabirds
3. Marine turtles ingest plastic bags which they mistake for jellyfish, and small items such as
gas lighters or plastic pellets in various stages of decomposition are mistaken for food by
seabirds and marine animals
4. Seabirds have been known to feed these plastic pellets to their chicks, resulting in the death
of the chicks, which ultimately can cause population numbers of affected species to
decrease if fewer and fewer chicks are being successfully raised

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 Furthermore, plastics and
polystyrene are made up of toxic
chemicals, including petroleum,
which may be released as the
gastric juices try to digest it, and
are absorbed into the body tissue.
These toxins also leach into the
water column as plastics break
down, contaminating filter
feeding organisms who ingest
the water while feeding. But the
problems don’t end
there. Plastics are known to
accumulate persistent organic
pollutants (POPs), including Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and DDT that are known to disrupt
the endocrine system and affect development, at concentrations of a hundred thousand to a million
times greater than naturally found in seawater. These contaminants are stored in the body fat and
organs of animals and are passed on to predators that feed on them, becoming more concentrated
in the tissues of organisms higher up the food chain.

Long living top predators continue to accumulate more and more toxins in their systems over time.
Studies have revealed that marine top predators, such as killer whales and polar bears, are amongst
the most contaminated animals on Earth. These contaminants reduce fertility and breeding success,
and compromise the affected animal’s immune system, making them more vulnerable to disease
and infection.

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Effects
Animals
From the whale, sea lions, and
birds to the microscopic organisms
called zooplankton, plastic has
been, and is, greatly affecting
marine life, i.e animals on shore
and off shore, whether by ingestion
or entanglement.

In a 2006 report, Plastic Debris in the World’s Oceans, Greenpeace stated that at least 267 different
species are known to have suffered from entanglement and ingestion of plastic debris. The National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration said that plastic debris kills an estimated 100,000
marine mammals annually, millions of birds and fishes.

The largest pieces of marine plastic debris,

miles long discarded fishing nets and lines
mostly, take an obvious toll on animals.
These derelicts nets, called ghost nets, snare
and drown thousands of larger sea creatures
per year, such as seals, sea lions, dolphins,
sea turtles, sharks, dugons, crocodiles,
seabirds, crabs, and other creatures. Acting
as designed, these nets restrict movement
causing starvation, laceration, infection,
and, in animals that need to return to the
surface to breathe, suffocation.On shores,
researchers have also watched in horror as
hungry turtles wolf down jellyfish-like
plastic bags and seabirds mistake old
lighters and toothbrushes for fish, choking
when they try to regurgitate the plastic
trash for their starving chicks.

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Coral Reefs
Derelict fishing gear can be destructive to coral reefs. Corals are in fact animals, even though they
may exhibit some of the characteristics of plants and are often mistaken for rocks. In scientific
classification, corals fall
under the phylum Cnidaria
and the class Anthozoa. They
are relatives of jellyfish and
anemones. Nets and lines
become snagged on coral and
subsequent wave action
causes coral heads to break
off at points where the debris
was attached. Once freed,
debris can again snag on more
coral and the whole process is
repeated. This cycle continues
until the debris is removed or
becomes weighted down with enough broken coral to sink. Eventually, derelict fishing gear may
become incorporated into the reef structure.

Economics
Marine litter cause serious economic losses to various sectors and authorities. Among the most
seriously affected are coastal communities (increased expenditures for beach cleaning, public
health and waste
disposal), tourism
(loss of income, bad
publicity), shipping
(costs associated
with fouled
propellers, damaged
engines, litter
removal and waste
management in
harbors), fishing
(reduced and lost
catch, damaged nets
and other fishing gear, fouled propellers, contamination), fish farming and coastal agriculture.

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How Can We Solve Plastic Pollution?
We need to tackle the problem of marine debris head on. It’s not just an issue for environmentally
conscious, it is an issue that ultimately affects human health. Man is a top predator that feeds on a
variety of ocean fish, shellfish, and other marine species. We face the same risks as the killer whale
and polar bear. While any plastic or polystyrene pellets that may have been clogging the gut of the
fish that is nicely
presented on our
dinner plate have
been long removed,
the toxic
contaminants
originating from
that debris remain
stored in the flesh
we are about to eat.
Food for thought
indeed.

Eliminating Plastic at Source

Clearly this is a mammoth problem and one that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. The
old saying ‘prevention is better than cure’ rings true here. One obvious solution is to switch from
plastic and polystyrene packaging to environmentally friendly alternatives, such as compostable
plant fiber packaging made from natural materials that readily break down in the environment
without causing any harm, and which contain no harmful chemicals. Many cities and countries
around the world have implemented stricter legislation with regard to plastic shopping bags, with
some banning them outright. Perhaps we need to do the same for plastic bottles, straws, etc.
Consumers should be proactive and opt for reusable and/or refillable containers rather than
disposable packaging wherever possible. This will not only save suppliers, and by extension
shoppers, money, it will also benefit the environment and everything that is dependent on the
environment for survival.

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How Can We Avoid Plastic & Reduce Plastic Waste?
We can start by changing our own habits. Reducing your use of single-use plastics will reduce the
demand. Avoid purchasing items wrapped in plastic, and using reusable produce bags, is a quick
win to change what you buy in your grocery shop. Recycling properly will help reduce plastic
waste – only 9% of plastic is recycled worldwide. Think of ways to upcycle old items rather than
discarding them or buying new ones. Supporting charities that are addressing Plastic Pollution (see
the list at the end of this article), and signing petitions for bans, will increase your impact for the
cause. Participate in (or organize) a beach/river cleanups. Wearing clothing made from natural
(non-synthetic) materials, such as organic cotton, silk, and linen, will prevent plastic microfibres
making their way into the ocean, and our food chain.

Here are some more tips for avoiding plastic every day:

 Reusable Water Bottle

Avoid bottled water. Buy a decent water filter and a reusable stainless steel bottle or a glass
bottle. There are collapsable options for the city dwellers.

 Reusable Shopping
Bag
Keep reusable shopping
bags with you: in your car,
work bag, jacket pocket,
and next to your front door.
They're cheap and there are
foldable/pocket options.

 3 Minute Beach
Tidy
If you spend time enjoying the beach and the ocean, pay mother nature a thank you. Make it
your pre-surf/dive/swim ritual: spend 3 mins picking up trash from the beach.

 Slow Down
Stop eating on the go. Slow down and take time to enjoy your food: eat in or take a lunchbox.
Reduce your use of disposable cutlery, plates and packaging and recycle where possible.
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 Say No to Straws
Americans use 500 million drinking straws every day. Now imagine how that translates to the
rest of the world. If you really love straws, carry a stainless steel one in your bag.

 Reusable Coffee Cups

We all love our coffee and tea, but it really takes its toll on our environment. Carry a reusable
coffee cup with you. There are plenty of options available, from bamboo to collapsable silicone
cups to glass cups.

 Plastic Recycling Initiatives

Because it is so tough and durable, plastic can be reused or it can be recycled. Popular musician
and environmental advocate, Pharrell Williams, is the co-owner of G-Star RAW, a sustainable
clothing brand that recently launched the ‘RAW for the Oceans’ collection that recycles single
use plastic containers collected from beaches all over the world into stylish apparel. The ‘RAW
for the Oceans’ fashion line has collaborated with Bionic Yarn, another company that Williams
is both a partner and Creative Director of, which uses recycled ocean plastics to make
sustainable clothing yarn. This creative approach provides a sustainable resource — there is
plenty of plastic in the sea — while at the same time tackles the humungous problem of ocean
plastics by putting this practically unlimited resource to good use.

Philanthropist, environmental
advocate, and entrepreneur,
Richard Branson, has proposed
that we implement a deposit
refund system for plastic bottles.
Offering an incentive for users
to return plastic bottles for
recycling makes absolute sense,
especially these are one of the
most prolific items found on
beaches around the world.

 Beach Cleanups
Every year, the Ocean Conservancy coordinates the International Coastal Cleanup in
collaboration with environmental organisations, schools and other community initiatives
around the world, encouraging volunteers to take part in local beach cleanups to rid the
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 environment of trash. This can be stepped up at a local level, where individuals, communities
and organisations can get more actively involved in cleaning up their local beaches to help
keep them free of plastic and other debris.

 Ocean Cleanup Innovations

Some innovative individuals have proposed other solutions for removing plastic from our
oceans, including deploying large floating booms to trap and catch plastic designed by a Dutch
entrepreneur when he was still a teenager, and floating sea bins designed by two surfers that
can be used to remove plastic from harbours, for example.

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List of Plastic Pollution Charities
Who else is taking action?

Surfers Against Sewage

Plastic Pollution Coalition

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Mission Blue

Plastic Oceans

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Take3

5Gyres

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What Can You Do To Help?
Here are 3 things you can do to help make a difference:

 Share this guide on social media – whether it’s a quick tweet, an Instagram story, or a
Facebook post – everything helps!
 Link to this guide – our guide has gained some great traction, however not without the
help of our faithful supporters. If you’re writing a blog post on plastic pollution, feel free
to reference the information in this article.
 Donate & get involved – we have listed some charities in this article who are doing some
amazing things, from research to beach cleans, to awareness engagement campaigns. Visit
their websites to see how you can get involved.. Or just simply donate.

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