The enormity of the scale of ocean plastic pollution is understood to be massive, as are the consequences of inaction. Awareness of the adverse and disastrous effects of plastic getting into the environment, including the ocean, has spurred increased studies into the scope of the problem and possible solutions.
As consumers, governments, and industries look for ways to address the amount of plastic waste in the environment, a new report by The Pew Charitable Trusts creates a 29-year time limit on implementing comprehensive and global strategies that prevent new plastic from entering into the ocean. The report also outlines the possible economic, environmental, social, and health outcomes of achieving no-new ocean plastic by 2050, continuing on Business-As-Usual (BAS), with recommendations based on geography and economic development.
Breaking the Plastic Pathway concludes that, at the current pace, the flow of plastic into the ocean will triple by 2040, to 29 million metric tons annually. Researchers also found that government and industry initiatives and voluntary actions are often put in place in low-leakage areas and will ultimately make a difference of 7 percent compared to BAS. Furthermore, solutions include changes up and downstream and innovations in the supply chain.
