Friday, July 29, 2011

Environmental Issues Go International

By Carrie Haley


The issue of marine litter has reached such proportions that emergency and definite action is a necessity. Plastic accounts for 90% of floating debris and 60-80% of the overall marine garbage. A huge portion (about 80%) of the debris is land-sourced. Methods to promote recycling of waste along with discourage the use of single-use plastic products are really the only strategies for this issue.

Marine garbage presents a severe hazard for aquatic wildlife and also the whole marine ecosystem. Many fishes, seabirds and marine mammals die annually as a result of waste. Marine litter also results in financial loss. Plastic waste damage fishing boats. The need for repeated coastal cleanups is an increased expense for the local governments and the locals wind up paying for it. Unless concrete steps are taken, the situation is very likely to worsen.

The Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter

The Plastic News recently released a story on the 5th International Marine Debris Conference held recently at Honolulu during which plastic companies from around the world joined together. The most significant outcome of the conference was the "Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter". The declaration was signed by 47 organizations from 29 countries. Organizations have pledged to follow the ideas provided by the declaration for finding environmentally friendly solutions to the problem of marine litter. The focus areas in the declaration include support to research on finding solutions to the issue, promotion and enforcement of scientific policies to prevent marine litter, initiatives to recycle, steps to prevent product loss during water transport and also efforts to spread knowledge on waste management systems.

Need for Efforts at Business and Individual Levels

Along with such steps at the international level, contributions on the part of businesses as well as the general public is also essential to tackle the issue. Businesses can take measures like decreasing product packaging, which is not only effective for the green movement, but will also result in cost saving. Companies using eco customized bags made of recycled bottles prove a conviction to the environment. It is also a good method to build goodwill among your environment aware customer. Replacing plastic bags and bottles with recycled bags or biodegradable merchandise will also help in preventing any potential legal issues. Promoting the eco-friendly movement is a win-win choice. It helps our world, implies that you are a socially responsible organization and even helps in bringing down costs.

Major plastic products that turn out to be marine litter consist of commercial fishing nets, monofilament fishing lines, packaging materials, bottles and bags. Though activities like sea cleanups are crucial, it is even more important to spread awareness concerning the seriousness of the situation and the steps to be taken to minimize the damage. Most of the people are yet to realize the seriousness of the matter. Individual donations can add up to bring great results. Easy things like selecting [eco bags] instead of plastic ones can make a difference. You should use stainless steel bottles which can be used time after time rather than use and throw plastic containers. These could seem like small changes, but when every one of us will make an endeavor to go green, the results can be impressive.




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