EVERY YEAR, 12 MILLION TONS OF GARBAGE ARE DUMPED IN THE OCEAN. THE AMOUNT OF PLASTIC EXCEEDING THE AMOUNT OF FISH IS EXPECTED FOR 2050.
Plastic is a very present material in our daily life. Like its production, the increase in waste has increased dramatically.
The exact amount of this material is unknown, but several billion fragments are estimated, not including pieces on the seabed and on the beaches.
The degradation of the plastic is difficult to estimate, it depends on the type and environmental conditions, but it is considered that in the ocean it is much slower.
IMPACT
Plastic parts have a decisive impact on all marine life.
For a long time, suffocation and strangulation of animals have been documented by plastic bags and other elements.
Plastic particles can be ingested by marine wildlife, including plankton, crustaceans, and fish, and can cause problems, both because of their physical presence in the intestine and because of the chemical contaminants they carry. The contamination can be spread along the food chain until they reach our plates.
This also affect the economy: the fishing sector, tourism and high costs in public expenses in the cleaning of the coasts.
SOLUTIONS
To stop the contamination is essential to take action. The reduction of plastic is the responsibility of all: manufacturers and consumers. If we want to reverse the problem, we have to increase our efforts.
As consumers, how can we help? With some measures that do not require any hard effort:
Avoid single-use plastic bags. Take cloth bags or a basket when you're going shopping!
Avoid cosmetics that contain microplastics: polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, PMMA and/or nylon;
Prioritize the purchase of reusable and/or returnable bottles and containers;
Reject plastic containers and single-use utensils such as bottles, cutlery, straws ... there are alternatives!
Deposit plastic waste in the appropriate container.
The Xaloc Charter team is very concerned about this issue. The sea is our work and also our passion.
Every day visitors consume on board a large number of drinks packed in bottles and cans which we separate before throwing.
We are implementing the use of biodegradable and reusable materials, and decreasing the amount of single-use material.
In addition to using specific cleaning products that have a much smaller impact.
Please, do not throw anything into the sea!
A mere cigar butt takes up to 5 years to decompose, a plastic cup up to 75 years and a bottle up to 400 years.
Sources: Marine Environmetal Research, Greenpeace Spain, Davos Economic Forum, Unep (United Nations Environment Program);
+
-
