PLASTIC

POLLUTION
IN THE
OCEANS
INFOGRAPHIC

PLASTIC WASTE MAKES UP 80% OF

ALL MARINE POLLUTION
Most marine debris (80%) comes from trash and debris from land-
based sources. Key components of land-based sources include
litter, trash and debris from construction, ports and marinas,
commercial and industrial facilities, and trash blown out of
garbage containers, trucks, and landfills.

PLASTIC PRODUCTION
INCREASED SINCE WW2
Production increased exponentially, from 2.3 million tons in
1950 to 448 million tons by 2015. Every year, about 8 million
tons of plastic waste escapes into the oceans from coastal
nations. That’s the equivalent of setting five garbage bags full
of trash on every foot of coastline around the world.

EFFECTS OF PLASTIC
COMPOUNDS
Plastic also pollutes without being littered—specifically, through
the release of compounds used in its manufacture. These
compounds have also been implicated in hormone disruption of
animals in terrestrial, aquatic, and marine habitats. It also
disrupts their reproduction and development.

EFFECTS OF
MIRCOPLASTICS
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that result from both
commercial product development and the breakdown of larger
plastics. As a pollutant, microplastics can be harmful to the
environment and animal health. In the oceans, microplastic
pollution is often consumed by marine animals.

PLASTICS CAN FREELY MOVE

AROUND THE WORLD
Most of the plastic trash in the oceans, Earth’s last sink, flows
from land. Trash is also carried to sea by major rivers, which picks
up more and more trash as they move downstream. Once at sea,
much of the plastic trash remains in coastal waters. Once caught
up in ocean currents, it can be transported around the world.

CAN WE SOLVE THIS?

It is difficult to retrieve plastic from the oceans, especially
microplastics and compounds of plastics. Steps forward in
reducing our plastic pollution can be the improvement of
our waste management systems and the implementation of
recycling. In addition, it is essential to reconsider the design
and usage of disposable packaging, and the reduction in
manufacturing of unnecessary single-use plastics.

SOURCES
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/microplastics
https://plasticoceans.org/making-menstruation-products-eco-friendly/
https://www.britannica.com/science/plastic-pollution/Plastic-pollution-in-oceans-and-on-land
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/plastic-pollution
https://oceanliteracy.unesco.org/plastic-pollution-ocean/
https://www.cleanwater.org/problem-marine-plastic-pollution