Plastic in the ocean is a growing problem affecting the planet, the oceans and its biological life. The plastic comes from a variety of sources, including waste management, industries and private consumption. In this article we will look at how much plastic ends up in the ocean, what happens to the plastic that ends up there, the environmental project The Ocean Cleanup and what you can do to reduce plastic in the ocean.

So much plastic ends up in the ocean

According to research published in the journal Science, between 4.8 and 12.7 million tons of plastic end up in the sea annually. This is a huge amount of waste that causes great damage to the environment.

Plastic in the oceans can harm animals and ecosystems in several ways. Animals can mistake pieces of plastic for food and eat them, which can lead to damage to the gastrointestinal tract and even death. Plastic floating on the surface can also create dangerous traps for animals caught in it and unable to escape.

What happens to the plastic in the ocean?

When plastic ends up in the ocean, it is broken down by the sun's UV rays and the forces of nature. Microplastics come from several different sources. One of the most common sources of microplastics is the breakdown of larger plastic products, such as plastic packaging and plastic bottles, which have ended up in the sea or on beaches. When these larger plastic products are broken down by the sun's UV rays and the forces of nature, such as waves and wind, they become smaller fragments. Finally, they are such small pieces of plastic that they end up in the food of fish and birds.

Other sources of microplastics include textiles, such as clothing and textiles used in, for example, fishing and shipping. Washing synthetic textiles can release microplastics, which can then end up in waterways and oceans. Microplastics can also come from industries, such as the manufacture of cosmetics and toothpaste, where plastic grains are used as abrasives. When these products are used and flushed down the drain, the microplastics can end up in our waters.

Microplastics can also end up in the human food chain, as fish and other marine animals eat the microplastics, which are then consumed by humans. This can have negative health effects on people and increase the risk of disease.

The Ocean Cleanup

The Ocean Cleanup is an organization that works to clean the oceans of plastic. The organization has developed an innovative technology that uses passive systems to collect plastic from the sea. These systems consist of large floating barriers that catch the plastic as it floats with the currents.

The Ocean Cleanup has carried out several successful pilot projects and fishes out around 50 tons of plastic per year. The organization plans to increase the number of barriers and expand its operations to cover more areas.

Before World Environment Day 2023, we will donate SEK 5 for each product sold to this project.

What can you do to reduce plastic in the ocean?

There are several things you can do to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in the oceans. One of the easiest things you can do is to reduce your own consumption of plastic. This can be done by choosing reusable products instead of disposable products, such as cloth bags instead of plastic bags and water bottles instead of disposable bottles.

One of the most common plastic consumer products that pollute the oceans are disposable products, such as plastic bags, plastic bottles, straws and disposable cutlery. These products are only used for a short time before being thrown away and can then take hundreds of years to decompose. According to a report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), plastic bags, bottles and straws account for a third of all plastic released into the oceans.

It is important to note that although single-use plastic products are a major source of plastic pollution in the oceans, there are also many other plastic products that can end up in our waters. It is important that we as consumers think about our use of plastic and how we can reduce our plastic consumption to contribute to reducing plastic pollution in the oceans.