How does plastic get into the ocean?

That’s why it’s extra painful to think about the amount of plastic that ends up in the ocean annually—over one million tons each year. This plastic continues to threaten the health of ecosystems, marine animals, and humans.

How much plastic ends up in the ocean?

Plastic also infects other parts of our environment. Of the 353 million tons of plastic waste generated every year, 82 million tons are mismanaged or littered, and the rest is recycled, landfilled, or incinerated. Only about 2% is effectively recycled. Of the 82 million, an estimated 19 million tons are leaked to the environment in some way. About six million of this ends up in rivers and along coasts.

Of the six million, it’s estimated that about 1.7 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean per year. This is 0.5% of all plastic waste. That percentage may seem small, but it’s a huge amount of waste that adds up over time. For comparison, it’s estimated that the Great Pyramid of Giza weighs about six million tons.

How do plastic bags in the ocean hurt animals?

A plastic bag floating through the ocean looks a lot like a jellyfish—which just happens to be many sea turtles’ favorite food. Unfortunately, about 22% of sea turtles that ingest plastic die from it. Plastic can rupture their internal organs and cause internal blockages, preventing sea turtles from eating and digesting real food. They then die from starvation. It’s estimated that more than half of sea turtles in the world have ingested plastic at some point in their lives.

In a study of what type of ocean debris causes the highest number of mortalities among cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), film-like plastic—which includes plastic bags—was number one. Like sea turtles, these animals often ingest plastic when mistaking it for food. In addition to internal injury and digestive problems, consuming plastic can hinder their swimming ability, making them more vulnerable to vessel strikes.

The EPA estimates that 380 billion plastic bags and wraps are used every year, requiring 12 million barrels of oil to create. Plastic bags generally cannot be recycled, so they are more likely to end up in the ocean.

The recent banning of most plastic bags from stores is a good step forward for protecting marine life, not just because they aren’t biodegradable but also because these bags are often ingested by sea turtles that mistake them for jellyfish. Despite the bag ban and all of our best efforts, plastic is still an enemy of the sea for animals and marine life. A whopping 90% of all seabirds have consumed plastic. Unfortunately, there’s no one major culprit to the plastic pollution problem.

How does plastic end up in the ocean?

Plastics get into the ocean in several ways:

• Littering (either intentional or unintentional, with wind or rain sweeping trash into the ocean)
• Overflowing outdoor trash bins
• Illegal dumping or improper waste disposal
• Leakage from landfill sites 
• Poorly managed industrial waste discharges
• Lost shipping containers
• Lost or discharged fishing gear
• Microbeads from personal care products (tiny plastic particles in exfoliators and toothpastes that get rinsed down the drain)
• Sewage-related litter
  

What are macroplastics and microplastics?

Larger pieces of plastic, such as bags, six-pack rings, straws, bottles, ropes, and take-out containers, are called macroplastics. In addition to being an eyesore when they wash up on our beaches, macroplastics can pose a threat to wildlife through entanglement or consumption, when they’re mistaken for food. But the deadly dangers of plastic debris don’t stop there. When plastic breaks down into microplastics, it becomes a different kind of threat to wildlife. Microplastics, particles smaller than five millimeters in size, constitute over 90% of surface water marine plastics. Smaller fish, or those species low on the food chain like plankton and oysters, consume microplastics when filtering water. Microplastics and the toxins they contain get passed upwards through the food chain, eventually getting ingested by large marine animals and humans, particularly in rural, Indigenous, and low-income communities that rely on wild animals for consumption.

When ingested by small animals like birds and fish, microplastics can block the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and prevent these animals from digesting food. Microplastics have been known to cause a decline in feeding behavior, lowered fertility, and slowed growth and development in some species.

Sadly, many of our toothpastes, body washes, scrubs, and other sanitary items still contain microbeads, a type of microplastic that’s added as an exfoliant to health and beauty products. Microbeads are now banned in the US, Canada, and the UK, with several other countries considering bans, but they’re still an ingredient in millions of items across the globe. Most water municipalities aren’t equipped to detect or remove these microbeads, so they end up passing through the treatment process and entering our waterways.

The ghost gear problem

Beyond what we think of as typical plastic waste in the ocean, there is the issue of ghost gear—lost, abandoned, or discarded plastic fishing gear. It remains in the ocean, travelling on the currents and trapping everything in its path. Because this gear is no longer being monitored, it roams free, killing millions of marine animals as it drifts through the ocean, including critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. Ghost gear causes significant financial losses to fisheries as well as damage to boats.

How can you help reduce plastic in the ocean?

IFAW is committed to solving the plastic pollution problem and addressing the harm it causes to individual animals and entire ecosystems. One way we do this is through coastal cleanup programs, which help stave off larger plastics fragmenting into smaller pieces and spreading across the globe. It’s not unlikely for plastic originating in Newfoundland, Canada to make its way to shorelines in the UK, France, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain. Of course, there are things you can also do to help reduce the plastic pile-up, from simple to more intentional.

Here are some simple ways you can reduce your plastic use and keep plastic out of the ocean:

• Use metal and glass straws instead of plastic straws
• When ordering takeout, be sure to ask for no utensils
• Carry a reusable water bottle with you so you never need a plastic bottle
• Recycle at home and at work (be sure to research the protocols for your area)
• Avoid buying clothing made from plastic-based materials like polyester, nylon, and acrylic
• Bring reusable grocery and produce bags to the store
• Instead of plastic snack bags, try reusable silicone bags
• Bring reusable to-go containers to restaurants to take home your leftovers
• Try plastic-free products such as shampoo, conditioner, and soap bars (instead of plastic bottles)
• Use eco-friendly alternatives to balloons at parties
• Shop for products like laundry detergent, dish soap, pasta, rice, and more at local refill stores (where you bring your own containers)
• Join a neighborhood or beach clean-up

Once you try something new from this list, share it with your friends and family. It might not feel like you’re making a huge difference on your own, but if you can get your entire household or friend group to switch to reusable or plastic-free alternatives, you can help reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in our ocean and save animals.

You can also donate to IFAW to help us create a healthier ocean for animals, people, and the planet. Find out more about how you can get involved and take action for animals.