Marine plastic pollution
Our ocean may appear vast but our devastating human footprint is found everywhere, with plastic found in the deepest ocean and your local beach.
Plastic pollution is one of the greatest challenges our ocean is facing right now. Not only does it make our beaches look dirty, but it is affecting marine animals, birds, sea plants and is even having a detrimental effect on our health too.
In 2023, the BBC reported that there was an estimate of more than 171 trillion pieces of plastic floating in the ocean.
By tackling plastic pollution, both in the short and long term, we can ensure a cleaner, healthier ocean for all.
The key types of plastic pollution which affect our ocean are single-use plastics which range from water bottles to carrier bags, and microplastics which are found in every day products such as cosmetics, clothing and even toothpaste. Smoking products which are designed to be disposed of such as cigarette butts and disposable vapes are also becoming a major cause of plastic pollution too.
Single-use plastics
Our seas are facing climate and biodiversity crises, partly fuelled by the single-use plastic problem. We've got to switch to using more sustainable products, and UK governments need to do more to bring in legislation that bans single-use plastic being produced.
Microplastics
Microplastics are bits of plastic less than 5mm in size. They’ve been found everywhere from beaches to the deepest parts of the ocean.
Cigarette butts
Cigarettes are a key contributor to the plastic pollution problem. Single-use plastic cigarette filters are consistently in the top 5 items found on UK beaches during our Great British Beach Clean.
Disposable vapes
Recycling disposable vapes is tricky, as they contain several different materials, including plastic, copper, lithium, and many more.
How plastic pollution affects marine life
Plastic pollution is impacting our marine wildlife. There is irrefutable evidence linking plastic pollution to the health of marine animals, having tragically claimed the lives of countless marine mammals, fish, seabirds and sea turtles.
