The answer to plastic pollution in our oceans is in our hands
PLASTIC is fast becoming one of the most damaging pollutants in the sea. The roughly 8 million tons of plastic waste dumped in the world’s oceans every year, destroys marine biodiversity and spoils our beaches.
According to a new report by the UK Government Office for Science, titled Foresight Future of the Sea, the amount of plastic in the sea is projected to triple between 2015 and 2025 without further intervention. Should this happen, the UN Environment Programme predicts that by 2050 oceans will contain more plastic than fish.
Last year, nearly 200 nations, including South Africa, signed a UN resolution aimed at reducing plastic waste in our oceans. It’s commendable that South Africa took this pledge, because it is well-recognised as an ocean plastic polluter.
In 2010 we ranked 11th on the list of worst polluters, being responsible for more than double the ocean plastic than the US. Research on beach litter around our coast has highlighted that the worst plastic pollution is found around our big coastal cities and comes from local land-based sources. In fact, more than 3 000 tiny pieces of plastic can be found in a square metre of beach sand. It is particularly shocking that we are the main polluters of more than 3 500km of coastline that helps to feed our nation, attract tourists and support approximately 13 000 marine species, 33% of which occur nowhere else in the world.
Such a huge problem obviously calls for huge solutions, or does it? If the current water crisis in the Western Cape, especially in Cape Town, has taught us one lesson, it is that the collective actions of many people can bring about tremendous change. By working together, Capetonians managed to push the dreaded Day Zero back.
This raises the question: can we address ocean plastic pollution in the same way? I believe we can. In response to the call of World Ocean Day 2018 to address plastic pollution, I think we should give it our best shot. In just a few simple steps, each of us can make a meaningful contribution towards reducing ocean plastic pollution.
Firstly, we should reduce our dependency on plastics. We should start by cutting single-use plastics out of our daily lives. No more plastic shopping bags, drinking straws and earbuds. By deliberately changing our behaviour we can cut out these single-use plastics with ease. Material shopping bags offer a cost-effective alternative to plastic bags.
We simply need to find a new normal. While this might seem like a big step, there are already schools like The Grove Primary School in Claremont, Cape Town, which has embarked on a “Ban the Bag” campaign. No single-use plastic bags are allowed on school property. While it took some adjustments to start with, the children, parents and staff are fully supportive of a greener, plastic bag-free, new normal.
Secondly, we should force producers and suppliers to act more responsibly. This might sound like it’s a difficult thing to do but it is easy when we let our money do the talking. We shouldn’t buy products that have excessive plastic packaging and should ask the supermarket for paper bags instead of plastic ones, or take along our own. Also, we should look for products that are made out of biodegradable alternatives to plastic – or use glass. From cups to milk bottles, bamboo and hemp-based materials offer great alternatives to plastic.
Thirdly, we should improve waste management. It really starts at home. Before putting anything in the bin, try to reuse it. If it can’t be reused it should be recycled. If it can’t be recycled, we should be asking ourselves if buying it was a smart move in the first place. The aim is to minimise the waste that leaves our homes.
Lastly, we must clean up. Considering the scale of the problem, it is pretty clear we all need to roll up our sleeves and help to remove plastic from our oceans and beaches. Whether we do it individually when walking down the beach, or with a group as part of an organised clean-up campaign, we should get out there and start cleaning up our ocean. The answer to ocean plastic pollution is literally in our hands.
COLLECTIVE ACTIONS OF MANY PEOPLE, SUCH AS ON DAY ZERO, CAN BRING ABOUT CHANGE