Marine litter

any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material which is discarded,

disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment. Marine litter consists of mostly very slowly degradable waste items such as plastic, polystyrene, metals and glass.
Marine litter is found on the beaches and shores, on the water surface, in the water column and on the seabed. It can be found near the source of input but also can be transported over a long distances with sea currents and winds.
Marine litter causes marine environmental, economic, health and aesthetic problems, including possible transfer of toxic substances and invasive species, destruction of marine habitats and loss of biodiversity. It also threatens marine life through entanglement, suffocation and ingestion as well as poses a risk to human health and life.

plastic, with all the toxins they contain, pose a threat

to sea life and ecosystems.

gas. It consists of long chain made up of many

repeating molecular units. For the natural environment, plastic is a foreign body and does not biodegrade. Pieces smaller than 5mm in size are called microplastic. Sources for microplastics in the ocean include cosmetic products, textiles such as fleece jackets, rubbish washed from land and ships that dump their plastic waste in the ocean (even though it is prohibited). The fishing industry accounts for 10% of marine debris. Nets and fishing gear get lost or are thrown away into the ocean. These "ghost nets" continue trapping fish for many decades. Plastic can transport plant and animal species across great distances to other regions. These passengers unsettle the balance of the sensitive ecosystems of their destinations. Plastic can also cover coral, marine sponges and mussel beds, preventing species from populating them and cutting of marine organisms from the exchange of oxygen.

that lend the product desirable properties - but can damage

animals and humans. Bisphenol A, phthalates and brominated flame retardants can adversely affect sexual development, damage genetic material or cause cancer. Pesticides and other toxins that are release into the ocean area are also absorbed by the plastic. All of these toxins penetrate the fatty tissue of marine organisms and end up in the food chain. Particularly at risk are all those animals at the end of the food chain: sea birds, seals, whales or sharks - and not least of all, humans.

year scour the globe’s beaches and waterways in an effort

to counter the effects of litter and marine debris.
These beach clean-ups not only beautify beaches, they also help quantify and qualify the nature of the litter and marine debris problem. Government agencies across the globe use this data to target efforts to combat marine debris.
The largest beach-cleaning event is operated by the International Coastal Cleanup. More than 18 million pounds of trash was collected by nearly 800,000 volunteers during the 2015 International Coastal Cleanup.
That’s 18 million pounds that would have either entered our seas and oceans, or returned to them after washing on shore. But was collected and properly disposed of or recycled instead.

to a bigger impact on marine litter. But we can’t

do it without you. Two simple ways you can help today are:
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