International Conference Builds Momentum for Real Solutions to Plastic Trash in the Sea

I’ve just returned from a week in paradise where I was immersed in the problem of plastic trash in the ocean.  The 5th International Marine Debris Conference (5IMDC) in Honolulu brought together governments, scientists, advocates, and industry from 35 countries to develop a comprehensive, cooperative “global platform for the prevention, reduction and management of marine debris”.  The Conference was on the right track in seeking commitments from participants and in developing the Honolulu Strategy, a framework for action over the next 10 years. 

But the Honolulu Commitments, are just a starting point.  The problem of marine plastic pollution is serious, and the time for talk is over.  NRDC’s goal is to work with the key  participants of the conference to come up with measurable, short-term actions  that  specific governments and industry players must take in the in  the lead up to the Earth Summit 2012 (Rio+20) next year.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner sent a strong message at the conference:  “Marine debris – trash in our oceans – is a symptom of our throw-away society and our approach to how we use our natural resources.  It affects every country and every ocean, and shows us in highly visible terms the urgency of shifting towards a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy as nations prepare for Rio+20 in 2012.”  

New research revealed at the conference affirmed that plastic pollution in the ocean has serious consequences for marine life, human health and the global economy.  Plastic pollution in the ocean is often mistaken for food and eaten by turtles, birds, and fish and other marine life.

The plastic found in a single turtle's stomach, photo from the UK Independent, discussing findings in the Marine Turtle Newsletter.

Lost fishing gear entangles and kills whales and other marine animals and it can destroy coral reefs.  Plastic waste is a blight on beaches around the world.  And there are growing concerns about the human health impacts from the release of toxins found in plastic, as well as  the accumulation of contaminants on tiny pieces of plastic that may then be transferred up the food chain. 

Dozens of speakers talked about the elements of solutions to the problem.  From education and outreach programs designed to change behavior, to strategies for achieving a zero-waste future, to models and studies to track and quantify marine debris, to local partnerships with indigenous people to clean up derelict fishing gear and other plastic waste. 

Photo, Mario Bollini, via Flickr

Now, we need to create the political will to scale up efforts to confront the challenge of marine plastic pollution.  Globally, we continue to produce and discard far more plastic than can possibly be recycled or reused.  We must ask our governments and industry to support action like those called for in the California Ocean Protection Council Ocean Litter Strategy to: 

• Change producer and consumer behavior to reduce single-use packaging and promote more sustainable alternatives.
• Implement producer take-back (EPR) programs for convenience food packaging and other plastics.
• Prohibit or place fees on single-use products that pose significant ocean litter impacts where a feasible, less damaging alternative is available.

As individuals, there are also many actions we can take every day to make a difference: refuse items with excess packaging; choose reusable bags, and food and beverage containers; and recycle any single-use packaging we use.

One of the high points of the conference was a keynote by Roz Savage, an ocean rower and advocate who has crossed the Atlantic and Pacific oceans solo to raise awareness about plastic pollution and other threats to our seas.  Roz described her experience crossing through the swirling soup of plastic trash that accumulates in the North Pacific Gyre -- marine plastic pollution as a terrible, tangible problem that motivates action.  Many people who have experienced a plastic wasteland on beaches and in waterways have been impassioned to help save our seas.  Kahi Kahakui, another amazing paddler/activist and founder of Kai Makana, also shared inspirational words at the conference opening.  Her organization’s Hawaiian motto says it best: E Ola Ke Kai, E Ola Kākou, or As The Ocean Thrives So Do We. 

Here is a shot of my niece Carmelita examining a Trash Turtle, which I won as a door prize at the Conference.  It is made from dozens of beached rubber slippers (flip-flops as they are called on the Mainland) glued together.

I hope by the time 1-year-old Carmelita is old enough to understand the vast system of global production and consumption that brought each of those slippers to the hands of the artist, we will have halted the steady flow of garbage to our seas and will have made tremendous progress to clean up the plastic pollution that will otherwise languish in our oceans indefinitely.  The collective good work of many committed participants at conference makes it clear that – with focus and hard work – we can make real progress in the next fourteen months before the Rio+20 Earth Summit.