The beginning of the end for marine debris? The OPC issues a challenge to California
What would a to-go polystyrene coffee cup, a plastic bag from the grocery store and an abandoned fishing net have in common? Two things, actually. First, they are among the millions of pounds of marine debris found in our ocean and coastal waters. Second, they are among the chief targets of the Implementation Strategy to Reduce and Prevent Ocean Litter, a report adopted by the OPC on November 20, 2008. The report aims to change how California generates, handles and disposes items that frequently land in our ocean. Sixteen recommendations ranging from smoking bans to education initiatives were made with three as top priority actions. The goal is to reduce the amount of litter that accumulates in the ocean, especially the 60-80% that is lightweight and buoyant plastic material. This litter kills marine life, including endangered species, transports invasive species and toxic pollutants, and damages the aesthetics of the sea.
Despite the MARPOL international treaty prohibition on dumping plastics at sea, debris in the oceans is increasing at an alarming rate. Plastic debris in the area north of Hawaii in the Northwest Pacific Gyre has increased 5-fold in the last 10 years. Similarly, off Japan’s coast, researchers found that floating particles of plastic debris increased 10-fold in 10 years from the 1970s through 1980s, and then 10-fold again every 2-3 years in the 1990s. In the Southern Ocean, the amount of plastic debris increased 100 times during the early 1990s. Approximately 80% of the debris comes from land-based sources, particularly trash and plastic litter in urban runoff. Ocean litter has been shown to affect at least 267 species worldwide, including sea turtles, seabirds and marine mammals. The impacts include fatalities as a result of ingestion, starvation, suffocation, infection, drowning, and entanglement. For example, the laysan albatross, black-footed albatross and northern fulmar frequently ingest a wide array of plastics including bottle caps, cigarette lighters, toys, party balloons, and other fragments of consumer goods.
The top three priority actions of the implementation strategy would remake California’s relationship with frequently used plastics and commonly littered items. The first priority action is to create a producer take-back program, or Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), for convenience food packaging. Successful EPR programs reduce waste by motivating manufacturers and distributors to use lesser amounts of packaging and more recyclable types of materials. The second priority action is a ban on polystyrene take-out food containers and a fee on single-use plastic and paper grocery bags. The goal behind this proposed fee and ban is to encourage a shift toward reusable bags and containers that are safer and less damaging to the marine environment. The third priority action recommends a fee be placed on commonly littered products that are not suitable for a take-back program or ban. The goal is to provide an incentive to consumers to buy less damaging products and create a source of litter-related funds that can be used for new programs, such as better enforcement of litter laws, clean up efforts, or alternative product development.
The OPC adopted the implementation strategy to encourage manufacturers, distributors, environmental groups, regulatory agencies and the public to reassess how our actions contribute to the growing problem of marine debris. The report is the first comprehensive plan that involves all Californians in a broad effort to curb ocean litter.
