National Action
National Action: to halt the leakage of waste to oceans from coastal nations
The topics of waste management and waste reduction also need to be tackled at national levels in each coastal country so that...
What you can do
Buy clothes made from natural fibres (cotton, wool, hemp, bamboo) and wash all clothing less often – when it’s actually dirty!
Choose natural, biodegradable alternatives to plastic wherever possible.
When buying any product...
The effects of oceans plastics
The Convention on Biological Diversity in 2012, counted 663 species affected by marine debris. Nearly 90% of the impacts were associated with plastic debris and about 15% of the species affected through entanglement and...
International Action
The dire situation of marine plastic pollution calls for strong and immediate action to boost current initiatives and fill the gaps in local, national and international preventative measures to reduce the rate at which...
Ocean Plastics Legal Initiative
Thanks very much for visiting this page to find out more about OPLI.
Our report 'International Law and Marine Plastic Pollution: Holding Offenders Accountable' is now available for download. Low resolution online version here (1.3 MB).
The report received...
Coral reefs face infection risk from plastic
Scientists have established yet another hazard from the millions of tons of plastic waste that tip into the sea: it delivers microbial infection to the world’s coral reefs.
When plastic pollutants snag on coral reefs, the likelihood...
How did things get so bad
Plastics and plastic packaging have become increasingly dominant in the consumer marketplace since their commercial development in the 1930s and are now used in every aspect of modern living. It is fair to say...
Where do ocean plastics come from?
The increase in the use of plastic worldwide correlates with increasing incomes, growing economies and rising consumption in fast-growing emerging markets, compounded by under-developed waste management systems in these countries. There are 192 coastal...
Innovation
In response to the growing concern over this alarming scenario, many individuals, community groups, businesses and governments have initiated a range of programmes to direct attention to the problem and to attempt to slow...
What do oceans plastics consist of?
Of the 8 million tons of plastic that enters the world’s oceans every year, 80% originates from land-based everyday post-consumer waste leakage, such as plastic bags, yoghurt pots, toothbrushes, plastic bottles, cigarette lighters, plastic...