Plastic Oceans Urges Recycling at Christmas

The environmental organization Plastic Oceans has released a Christmas video highlighting the impact of plastic waste at sea and urging people to recycle packaging.

We are changing our environment as we subject our planet to a tidal wave of plastic waste, says the organization. Almost half of the plastic we use is used just once and is then thrown away.

Plastic pollution is having a significant environmental impact particularly on marine life and coastlines. According to the organization, there are three major impacts on marine ecosystems:

Entanglement

•    Over 250 species have been known to have ingested or become entangled in plastic
•    Entanglement rates of up to 7.9 percent have been discovered in some species of seals and sea lions 
•    A UNEP report estimates that around 130,000 cetaceans are caught in nets each year

Ingestion
 
•    Over 100 species of sea birds are known to ingest plastic artefacts 
•    According to Dr Jan Andries van Franeker, around 95 percent of Fulmers have plastic in their stomachs that affect them in chemical and mechanical ways
•    31 species of marine mammals are known to have ingested marine plastic 

Transport of Invasive Species

•    The increase in marine litter, in particular plastics has resulted in a corresponding increase in species invasion 
•    Man-made litter has resulted in a significant increase in the opportunities for the transportation of alien species