Marine plastic pollution refers to the accumulation of plastic debris, ranging from large items to microplastics, in the world’s oceans. It has emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Every year, millions of tons of plastic waste enter the world’s oceans, threatening marine ecosystems, human health, and global economies. Once in the ocean, plastics persist for decades, breaking down into microplastics that infiltrate the food chain and travel across the planet. Please read to explore more details.
How Much Plastic Enters the Ocean?
Plastic waste leaks into the ocean from thousands of sources all over the world every day. Increasing consumption combined with improper waste management in many countries has made plastic pollution a worldwide problem.
- Plastic waste makes up 80% of all marine pollution. Around 8 to 10 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean each year.
- Research states that, by 2050, plastic will likely outweigh all fish in the sea.
- Plastic generally takes between 500-1000 years to degrade. Even then, it becomes microplastics, without fully degrading.
- Currently, there are about 50-75 trillion pieces of plastic and microplastics in the ocean. These plastics either break down into microplastic particles (see below), or float around and end up forming garbage patches.
How Does Plastic Enter the Ocean?
Land-based Sources (80%)
- Tourism: Plastic waste discarded by tourists accumulates on beaches, and wind or tides carry this debris into the ocean.
- Daily Production and Living Activities: Plastic waste from household garbage, residual agricultural plastic films other sources are washed into rivers by rainwater or enter through urban drainage systems. Rivers transport the plastic from land to the ocean.
Marine Sources (20%)
- Fisheries: Abandoned/lost fishing gear (nets, lines) and fishing vessel waste are directly dumped into the ocean.
- Maritime Shipping: Ship-generated waste is often dumped into the ocean. Containers carrying plastic items may be lost overboard, spilling their contents into the sea.
- Marine Aquaculture: Aquaculture nets, buoys, and plastic ropes enter the ocean due to aging or poor management.
Where Does Ocean Plastic Waste Go?
Sinking to the Seafloor
Nearly half of the ocean plastic waste loses buoyancy after being soaked in seawater or adhering to impurities, causing it to sink. These plastics may settle in shallow seabed sediments or descend into deep ocean trenches. In the deep sea, where light, temperature, and oxygen are limited, their decomposition is very slow, making them long-lasting pollutants.
Washing Back Ashore
A large amount of floating plastic is driven back toward land by wind and tides, eventually washing up along coastlines, river mouths, or beaches. This phenomenon can seriously impact coastal ecosystems and aesthetics.
Trapped in Ocean Currents
Some floating plastics become trapped in stable ocean gyres. This forms massive “garbage patches” that are difficult to escape from or clean up. The most well-known example is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which spans over 1.6 million square kilometers, making it the largest plastic accumulation zone in the world.
Suspended in the Water Column
Plastics in the ocean break down into smaller fragments under exposure to sunlight, wave action, and weathering. These fragments can float or remain suspended at various depths. Microplastics (less than 5 mm in diameter) have even been detected in remote areas such as Antarctic waters and the Mariana Trench. This phenomenon highlights their widespread distribution and potential for far-reaching environmental impact.
What Is the Impact of Marine Plastic Pollution?
Marine Life
Threat: Marine animals—such as sea turtles, whales, seabirds, and fish—often mistake plastic debris for food, leading to choking, intestinal blockage, malnutrition, and even death. Additionally, many species become entangled in plastic waste, which impairs their mobility and increases mortality rates.
Data:
- According to United Nations data, approximately 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals die each year due to plastic pollution.
- Entanglement and ingestion have been found to impact 914 megafaunal species, of which more than 100 are endangered.
Marine Ecosystem
Threat: Plastic waste in the ocean damages coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, etc. It can alter species composition, reduce biodiversity, and impair key ecological functions such as nutrient cycling and habitat formation.
Data:
- A 2018 study published in Science found that the chance of disease increased from 4% to 89% when corals are in contact with plastic.
- The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has reached a plastic concentration of more than 10 kilograms per square kilometer, significantly harming marine habitats and food webs.
Economy
Threat: Plastic pollution has a wide-ranging impact, affecting tourism, fisheries, shipping, and more, which may hinder GDP growth in countries.
Data:
According to estimates by the World Bank, marine plastic pollution causes over $13 billion in economic losses annually. These losses primarily stem from its negative effects on fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, and the costs of government-led cleanup efforts.
Human Health
Threat: Microplastics can enter the human body through the food chain. It may affect the body’s endocrine system, causing developmental, neurological, reproductive and immune disorders. While the long-term effects on human health are not yet fully understood, their ubiquitous presence makes it difficult to isolate and assess their overall impact.
Data:
- Studies estimate that the average person consumes around 5 grams of microplastics per week—roughly equivalent to the weight of a credit card.
- Microplastics have been detected in drinking water, table salt, beer, and even the air we breathe.
Fighting Marine Plastic Pollution: Beston Group’s Pyrolysis Solution
As global marine plastic pollution intensifies, innovative solutions are urgently needed. Beston Group offers advanced plastic pyrolysis technology and solutions to combat this crisis. Pyrolysis converts waste plastic into fuel oil and combustible gas through high-temperature decomposition in an oxygen-free environment.
This eco-friendly process reduces the volume of plastic waste entering oceans and promotes circular economy goals. By adopting the pyrolysis solution, the world can take a proactive step toward cleaner oceans and a more sustainable future.
Conclusion
Marine plastic pollution is a multifaceted global challenge—but a solvable one. Understanding its sources, impacts, and solutions, governments, industries, and individuals can unite to reverse the tide of plastic entering our oceans. Every action counts—because the ocean’s future is our future.