Page 49 from: October 2012

49October 2012

tic are floating around. The discussions are

moving from the emotional to the more ration-

al and fact-based. When you look at the Pacific

Ocean, it is estimated that there are 3 million

to more than 6 million tonnes of material float-

ing around. Whether in reality it is half of that

or double that volume is of less importance to

me at this stage. It simply does not belong there!

So we should rapidly find the causes and stop

it. The biggest challenge is, of course, how to

collect the material out there. The good news

is that we are working very hard to find solu-

tions in co-operation with companies from

other industries which in the past did not work

together. We have all a part of the puzzle and

only by joining forces we will be able to make

a difference.’

How did this debris end up in the
oceans?
‘There are many factors that have contributed

to a rise in marine litter: poor landfilling and

poor waste management practices in ports and

marinas, dumping by ships and vessels, not to

mention general public attitudes towards lit-

tering are all reasons for this growing problem.

We have just published a report about a landfill

in Lebanon where waste is simply bulldozered

across the beach into the Mediterranean. The

implications of an increase in marine litter are

far-reaching – potentially affecting humans and

already causing damage to the ecosystem. This

is an issue that is present all around the world,

but it is time for Europe to show leadership in

solving this problem.’

How does Waste Free Oceans try to
achieve its goals?
‘Waste Free Oceans has identified a number of

problem areas – ports and marinas, estuaries,

rivers and seas – where the currents take the

debris from open landfills near the water in

several European countries. We are now in the

process of carrying out a number of pilot

projects in which we have been “fishing” the

plastics from the water. Using specially-

designed fishing trawls but also traditional

technologies, we will engage jointly with the

local fishing community in cleaning up floating

marine debris and bringing it back to land for

monitoring, sorting and recycling. Fishing

boats outfitted with a special WFO trawl will

be able to collect between 2 to 8 tonnes of waste

for recycling in hotspot areas. Using fishermen’s

knowledge and home-grown technology, the

project will help to considerably reduce the

floating marine debris on Europe’s coastlines

by 2020. We have already done these trials in

France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Aus-

tria and Hungary (WasteFreeDanube). This

month, we will engage in Cyprus and other

parts of the Mediterranean. Later this year, we

will start up joint actions in the Netherlands,

the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea. But we have

not limited ourselves to Europe; we now also

have projects under way in India, Indonesia and

in the Americas, and other regions are to fol-

low.’

Why would fishermen look to ‘catch’
plastics instead of fish?
‘The EU Commissioner for Fisheries, Maria

Damanaki, has unveiled plans that will offer an

alternative source of income to Europe’s fishing

fleets; they will be offered cash for “catching”

marine litter rather than fish in an attempt to

tackle this waste problem. Fishing vessels that

clear marine litter will initially be subsidised by

the EU, but the hope is that the practice will

become self-sustaining as the value of recycled

materials increases. The fishermen will gradu-

ally evolve as long-term managers of their

maritime environment.’

What will happen with the plastic that
is fished from the seas?
‘I think that the synthetic materials industry

has a responsible stance on recycling the plas-

tics, and other industries will have to follow

suit. Waste Free Oceans is co-operating with

the plastics recycling industry to recycle the

plastic waste from the oceans. Plastic does not

grade down because of the salty sea water and

the material collected is a valuable source for

the industry. In Belgium, plastics recycling

company EKOL has already taken on the task

of recycling the plastic marine litter collected

by the Belgian fishing fleet. Garden furniture

produced from a range of mixed plastics col-

lected from the coastline can now be found in

the port of Oostende.’

Is marine litter a ‘plastics problem’?
‘No. All kinds of materials are concerned. But

although the issue of marine litter is not strict-

ly a plastics problem, the plastics industry is

committed to presenting a proactive, united

front in tackling this issue. With the support of

corporate sponsors, NGOs, and local and Euro-

pean politicians alike, we want to raise aware-

ness of this issue and restore the beauty and

purity of Europe’s coastlines and waters.

Researchers from the Dutch marine research

institute IMARES have found that invisible

particles, the so-called micro particles in the

sea water, have a detrimental effect on sea

organisms. These tiny plastic particles end up

in the sea through sewage because they are used

in many cosmetics and homecare products.

Mussels exposed to such particles were found

to be eating less than healthy mussels and, as a

result, they grew much less.’

If we do nothing about the marine
debris problem, what will the conse-
quences be?
‘Doing nothing is not an option because, in that

case, the consequences will be far-reaching.

Approximately 20 000 tonnes of marine litter

per year end up in the North Sea alone, only

part of it being plastics, with 70% landing on

the sea bed while 15% remains afloat and the

remainder ends up on beaches. Waste and sub-

stances like plastic are an environmental catas-

trophe for marine and bird life in our seas and

oceans. When plastics, which are not easily

degradable, are consumed by marine animals

and birds, it fills their stomachs without provid-

ing any nutritional value. On average, the stom-

ach of, for instance, a fulmar already contains

14 small pieces of plastic. Each year, 1 million

seabirds and a hundred thousand marine ani-

mals die from hunger as a result of these plastics

that are stuck in their stomachs. Adding a con-

siderable value to waste would make consumers

more aware that marine litter is a valuable

resource and not a waste. That would be a

major step forward. The time has come for all

of us to act together in tackling this growing

problem and to ensure the health and purity of

Europe’s coastal waters.’

‘In the Mediterranean
alone, 250 billion

pieces of plastics are
floating around.’

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