A SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE ON GLOBAL SOLUTIONS TO OCEAN PLASTIC Dr. Sandra Whitehouse, Senior Policy Advisor, Ocean Conservancy

VOLVO OCEAN RACE SUMMIT 2015

Ocean Plastics: Science and Solutions Sandra Whitehouse, Ph.D.

DEFIANCE

Newport, RI

Increase in World Plastic Production 1950-2012 300

MTONNE

250 200

World Plastic Production

150 100

European Plastic Production

50 0 Source: PlasticsEurope

1950

2012

Utility of Plastic Agricultural Film Mulch

Clean Drinking Water

Ocean Plastic Plastic Persists

Origins of Plastic Trash in the Oceans

20% Sea 80% Land

Origins of Ocean Plastic 20% SEA

Origins of Ocean Plastic

“Leakage”

80% LAND

s

2015 First Global Estimate of Leakage

Plastic trash entering the ocean per year 50 km Coastal Country Buffer

% Mismanaged Waste

Jambeck et al. 2015, Science

Population & Income

Per Capita Waste Generation

% Littered

% Plastic in the Waste Stream

% Waste Entering Ocean

270 M 275 M Global Plastic Production

Total Plastic Waste

Worldwide Plastic Leakage into the Ocean from Land 2010

Jambeck et al. 2015, Science

M Metric Tons

100 M Coastal Plastic Waste

32 M

Coastal Mismanaged Plastic Waste

Generated by 2 billion people Within 50km of the coast

8M

Plastic Waste into oceans

~ 0.01 M Plastic Waste Floating in Oceans

1.6 kg/day

0.5 kg/day

2.6 kg/day

13% 3%

99%

2.5 kg Jambeck et al. 2015, Science

13%

99%

0.4 kg Plastic Waste into the Ocean Individual/yr

19%

17.2 kg

Plastic Leakage Geographically Concentrated

Plastic waste available to enter the ocean in 2010 Million MT

Jambeck et al. 2015, Science

Plastic Leakage Geographically Concentrated

Plastic waste available to enter the ocean in 2010 Million MT

Jambeck et al. 2015, Science

Volvo Ocean Race Route

Future Projection

Increased Plastic in the Ocean 250 million tons

In 10 years, there could be: 1 ton of plastic:

130 million tons 3 tons of finfish of fish

2013 Jambeck et al. 2015, Science

2025

1

Beaches

Beach Cleanups

International Coastal Cleanup

11 Million Volunteers

30 Years

190 Million Pounds of Trash

153 Countries

360,000 Miles of Beach

215 Million Items Items Collected

Beach Cleanups

International Coastal Cleanup

11 Million Volunteers

30 Years

190 Million Pounds of Trash

153 Countries

360,000 Miles of Beach

215 Million Items Items Collected

International Coastal Cleanup 2014 Data

Floating in Ocean

Arctic Sea Ice

Seafloor

Ocean Wildlife

Ocean

Ecological Impacts Ingestion

Ecological Impacts

Ingestion of small fragments

Ecological Impacts Entanglement

Percent of Taxa Impacted by Ocean Plastic

Cetaceans (Whales)

Seabirds

Pinnipeds (Seals)

Sea Turtles

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Economic Impacts Derelict Fishing

Lost Tourism

Damage To Vessels

Human Health Impacts

Human Safety Impacts

Exacerbating Natural Disasters

Solutions

Redesign

Reduction/Elimination

Reduction/Elimination

Reduction/Elimination

Recycle

Recycle

Upcycle

Plastic Leakage Geographically Concentrated

Plastic waste available to enter the ocean in 2010 Million MT

Jambeck et al. 2015, Science

Percent of Annual Plastics Leakage into the Ocean By Country

29% 10.5%

5.2%

5.9% 6.1%

1.

CHINA

2.

INDONESIA

3.

PHILIPPINES

4.

VIETNAM

5.

SRI LANKA

~57% Top 5 countries account for ~57% of total ocean plastics inputs

Waste Cycle

Litter

Collection

Community Dump

Open Dump

Garbage Truck to Dump

Illegal Dumping

Washes/Blows Away

Trash into Streams, Rivers, Ocean

Sanitary Landfill

Waste Cycle: China 29% Total Ocean Plastics

Litter

Collection

Community Dump

Open Dump

Garbage Truck to Dump

Illegal Dumping

Washes/Blows Away

Trash into Streams, Rivers, Ocean

Sanitary Landfill

Waste Cycle: Philippines 6% Total Ocean Plastics

Litter

Collection

Community Dump

Open Dump

Garbage Truck to Dump

Illegal Dumping

Washes/Blows Away

Trash into Streams, Rivers, Ocean

Sanitary Landfill

There is no single solution.

Future of Plastics in the Oceans

Current Trajectory Redesig n

Recycle

Reduce Leakage MTONNE

300

200

100

0 1950

1980

2010

2025(illustrative

projections)

Trash Free Seas Alliance™

A Global, Collective Effort STEERING COMMITTEE TECHNICAL ADVISORS

AFFILIATES