Plastic Pollution represents a significant contributor to the non-point source pollution found in our Monterey Bay as elsewhere around the world. While terms such as Marine Debris and Ocean Trash have been used to describe the garbage that enters the ocean, a growing number of scientists, researchers and marine-based organizations have adopted the term Plastic Pollution not only because 90% of floating ocean trash is plastic but because the term pollution highlights the point that we are dealing with a pervasive substance that contaminates water, the cells of organisms from fish to humans, and knows no boundaries.
80% of plastic pollution that enters the ocean originated from a land-based source. Common sources of land-based plastic pollution include: recreational beach users, people who drop litter on sidewalks and streets, plastics manufacturers and transporters, illegal dumping, and areas with inadequate trash receptacles.  It is important to remember that all land-based plastic pollution has the potential to become ocean trash. Plastic items can easily be blown towards the ocean or washed down storm drains that flow directly to the Bay.
 



The Truth About Plastic

•     Plastic fragments contaminate even the most remote locations on earth. Harmful chemicals leached by plastics are present in the bloodstream and tissues of almost every one of us.

•    Plastic pollution harms people, animals, and the environment. Plastic is not biodegradable. In the marine environment, plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller particles that absorb toxic chemicals, are ingested by wildlife, and enter the food chain that we depend on.

•    Consumption of throwaway plastics, such as bottles, containers, bags, and packaging, has spiraled out of control.

•    Recycling is not a sustainable solution.  Most of our plastic waste is landfilled, downcycled or exported to other countries. And tragically, millions of tons of plastic poison our oceans. Businesses and governments must take responsibility for new ways to design, recover and dispose of plastics.

•    Plastic pollution is the visible symbol of our global crisis of over-consumption. Let's pledge to shift our societies away from the disposable habits that poison our oceans and land, eliminate our consumption of throwaway plastics, and begin embracing a culture of sustainability.

•    Our health, our children, and the survival of future generations depend on us.

The most common plastic items Save Our Shores volunteers find during beach and river cleanups in Santa Cruz County include plastic water bottle caps, plastic bags, cigarette butts (which contain plastic) and plastic and Styrofoam pieces.
 


The Impact
 
Plastic Pollution impacts animals in three specific ways:

(1) Ingestion: Marine animals often mistake plastic pieces for food. For example, bird species such as pelicans or albatross will mistake pieces of plastic for small fish. Once the animal ingests the plastic, their body cannot digest it. The plastic item will remain in the animals’ stomach causing the animal to feel full. Thus the animal will eventually stop eating its real food source. Ingestion can cause damage to the digestive system of marine life, causing malnutrition, dehydration, and starvation.  SOS is particularly concerned with ingestion as our beaches are littered with small plastic pieces that can easily be mistaken for food by birds and other wildlife here in the Monterey Bay.

(2) Suffocation: Animals can suffocate on plastic pollution, such as plastic bags and six pack holders, which can block air passageways and/or inhibit normal growth patterns. A common example includes sea turtles who try and ingest plastic bags, as they mistake them for jellyfish (their favorite food source). Often the plastic bag is too large for the animal to digest and the turtle will suffocate. 

(3) Entanglement: This can occur when common items like fishing line, strapping bands and six-pack rings hamper the mobility of marine animals. Once entangled, animals have trouble eating, breathing or swimming, all of which can have fatal results.
Ocean Pollution affects at least 267 species worldwide, including 86 percent of all sea turtle species, 44 percent of all sea bird species, and 43 percent of marine mammal species.

          


Plastics impact human health in several specific ways:

Plastic is made from petroleum (either oil or natural gas) as well as a whole host of other chemicals that are often not found on labels and can be toxic to human and animal health. Two examples of harmful chemicals found in common plastic items include: (1) Phthalates which are chemicals used in plastic items that are typically soft or flexible. Phthalates are often found in plastic used by the food and construction industries as well as in beauty products, pesticides, wood finishes, insect repellents, solvents and lubricants. Studies have shown a variety of health effects associated with phthalate exposure including abnormal male sexual development, male infertility, premature breast development, cancer, miscarriage, premature birth and asthma. (2) Bisphenol-A is the chemical name for polycarbonate plastics. Products that commonly contain polycarbonates include 5-gallon water bottles, baby bottles and the plastic lacquer that lines many food cans. Bisphenol-A has been shown to disrupt normal estrogenic activities and has been shown to migrate from the plastic to liquids and foods that are stored inside (Earth Resource, 2010).

A Global perspective

The North Pacific Gyre, an area of the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Japan, is an accumulation zone (gyre means convergence of currents) for plastic pollution said to be at least twice the size of Texas. The North Pacific Gyre represents the largest gyre on Earth and contains roughly 3.5 million tons of trash. In this part of the ocean, studies from the Algalita Marine Research Foundation have shown that plastic fragments outnumber zooplankton 40 to 1! The Gyre resembles a plastic soup, where tiny pieces of plastic are not just floating at the surface of the ocean but are also suspended in the water column. This makes any cleanup effort incredibly complicated and that’s why many scientists are urging people to stop the plastic from its source: You, as the average consumer.

Consumption:

Consumption of plastic, particularly in the United States, has spiraled out of control. Why are we using plastic, a material that for all intensive purposes lasts forever, to manufacture items that we use for less than five minutes? The following statistics provide examples of the scope of the plastic pollution plague:

•    60,000 plastic bags are discarded in the US every 5 seconds (Chris Jordan, 2010)

•    It is estimated that an average individual uses 130 plastic bags per year (Earth Resource, 2010)

•    2 million plastic beverage bottles are used in the US every 5 minutes (Chris Jordan, 2010)

•    426,000 cell phones are discarded in the US every day (Chris Jordan, 2010)

•    1 million plastic cups are used just on airline flights in the US every 6 hours (Chris Jordan, 2010)
These statistics are so large that it’s hard to even imagine what impact all of this plastic pollution will have on the environment. For some striking visual representations of the over consumption problem in the US, whether plastic, paper, or other, please visit Chris Jordan’s photographic art website at http://chrisjordan.com/

Plastics Cost Communities

It costs the state of California an estimated $72 million per year to collect and dispose of one-time use disposable cups and bags. In addition, it costs California an estimated $52.2 million per year to attempt to keep our beaches clean. In total, the current annual costs to public agencies for litter prevention, cleanup, and disposal is $375.2 million (Earth Resource, 2010).
Be part of the solution
Plastic pollution is a symbol of a worldwide over-consumption crisis. Recognizing your role as part of the problem is the first step towards finding a solution. You can be part of the solution by making some lifestyle changes: (1) BUY products with little or no plastic packaging, and products made from recycled materials; (2) REDUCE the amount of plastic and other waste you use by Bringing Your Own metal water bottle, coffee mug, bag, etc.; (3) RECYCLE as much as possible; (4) REFUSE to use plastic single-use items such as plastic grocery bags, plastic tableware and plastic cups; (5) DISPOSE of your waste properly; (6) KEEP storm drains clean; (7) SPREAD the word! Tell friends about how to properly dispose of trash and recycling and encourage them to Bring Their Own.; (8) GET INVOLVED in local politics and encourage our cities and counties to place bans on particularly problematic materials such as plastic bags; (9) PARTICIPATE in an SOS beach or river cleanup!



Resource Links:

Visit the following links for more information on the threat of plastic pollution.

Sea Studios Foundation: Think Beyond Plastics at http://www.strangedayscauses.org/
Chris Jordan Photography at http://chrisjordan.com/
Earth Resource Foundation at http://www.earthresource.org/index.html
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program at http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/
Algalita Marine Research Foundation at http://www.algalita.org/
Bring Your Own. Org at http://www.bringyourown.org/
World Watch Institute at http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1499
The Plastic Pollution Coalition at http://plasticpollutioncoalition.org/
Ocean Revolution at http://www.oceanrevolution.org/