Marine litter is such a massive problem that it is difficult to describe. The types of litter and waste that is purposely dumped or finds its way in through mismanagement and carelessness runs the gamut of our lives. First though, what is the definition of marine litter? According to marinelittersolutions.com marine debris is defined as “any anthropogenic, manufactured, or processed solid material (regardless of size) discarded, disposed of, or abandoned in the environment, including all materials discarded into the sea, on the shore, or brought indirectly to the sea by rivers, sewage, storm water, waves, or winds.” Marine litter solutions states that 70% of this litter sinks to the bottom of the ocean. Plastic, however, tends to float. This is why it is the most visible form of pollution in our oceans. The other problem with plastic is that it does not degrade very quickly and when it does it creates micro plastics. You will find below a list of the top marine litter items. The point I want to make is that virtually all of these items are land based. In other words they are used on land, discarded, then find their way into the oceans. According to National Geographic there are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean and there are 269,000 tons floating on the surface. The frustrating part is that this should be preventable. We need more respect for our environment to create the urgency needed to make a difference.
Cigarettes/cigarette filters
Bags (paper & plastic)
Caps/lids
Food wrappers/containers
Cups/plates/forks/knives/spoons
Beverage bottles (plastic) <2 litres
Beverage Bottles (glass)
Beverage cans
Straws, stirrers
Rope
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