In fact, of all the plastic that ends up in Earth's oceans every year, only 1 percent has been observed on the surface. So where is the rest?
This 'missing' plastic has puzzled scientists. To date, the search has focused on oceanic gyres such as the Great Pacific Garbage, the water column (the part of the ocean between the surface and the seabed).
But new research suggests that oceanic plastic gets back onshore and is continually pushed onto land, near the water's edge, where it is often trapped by vegetation.
Of course, plastic on beaches around the world has been known for decades. But little attention has been paid to why and how the coastal environment is a sink for marine debris. The findings go a long way towards how we tackle plastic pollution in the oceans.
A separate, yet unpublished study found that about 90 percent of marine debris entering the ocean remains in the 'coastal zone' (an area of the ocean within 8 kilometers of the coast). The new study aimed to find out what was happening to him.
Scientists collected data on the amount and location of plastic pollution around the entire coast of Australia between 2011 and 2016. The waste was found in 188 locations along the Australian coastline. Of these, 56 percent were plastic, followed by glass (17 percent) and foam (10 percent).
The trash was a mixture of garbage from people and sediment from the ocean. The highest concentrations of plastic pollution were found along coastal shores – areas towards the inner edge of the beach where vegetation begins.
The amount of marine debris, and where it ends up, depends on wave activity on land and, to a lesser extent, on wind activity. Densely populated areas and places where the coast is easily accessible have been hot spots for the concentration of plastics.
Think about what you see on your beach. Smaller debris is often found at the water's edge, while larger items such as bottles and plastic bags are often far from the water, often trapped in vegetation.
There is also more litter near urban areas where rivers and streams flow into the ocean. It is possible that the debris is caught in the water before it reaches the sea. We find similar models in other countries, research in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
This pollution kills and maims wildlife when they mistake it for food or become entangled in it. It can damage fragile marine ecosystems by strangling sensitive reefs and transporting invasive species, and potentially poses a threat to human health if toxins in plastics enter humans through the food chain.
The results highlight the importance of examining the full breadth of coastal areas to better understand how much trap is trapped in order to create targeted approaches to managing all of that waste.
Plastic pollution can be reduced through targeted waste management policies to reduce, reuse and recycle plastics.
The understanding that most of our waste remains localized and trapped on land provides real opportunities for successfully managing our waste close to its source.
The amount of plastic in the oceans is growing. It is clear from research that land-based waste management strategies need to account for much larger amounts of pollution than previously thought.
This article is published by The Conversation.
