A new study reported yesterday that the amount of plastic waste that invades the oceans and kills marine life may triple its size today, during the next twenty years, unless companies and governments have the ability to reduce plastic production significantly.
The International Solid Waste Association, a non-governmental organization, said that consumption of single-use plastics increased during the outbreak of the emerging Corona Virus virus.
The waves wash daily face masks and gloves off remote beaches in Asia. Waste hills are rising all over the world, with record amounts of boxes used to deliver fast food meals, and packages used to deliver online purchases.
The new research, conducted by scientists and industry experts on behalf of "Bio Charitable Trusts and Systematic", offers solutions that can reduce by more than 80% the amount of plastics expected to end up in ocean water.
The roadmap described in the study to eliminate the plastic waste crisis in the oceans is among the most detailed that any study has ever developed.
But if no action is taken, the amount of plastic that invades the sea each year will rise from 11 million to 29 million tons, to accumulate 600 million tons in the ocean by 2040, which is equivalent to the weight of three million blue whale, according to the study published by Science Magazine.
"Plastic pollution affects everyone," said Winnie Lao, a senior manager at Pew and co-author of the study. It is not a problem that concerns this or that, it is not a problem of one country, it is a problem of everyone ».
"The situation will turn from bad to worse if we do not act." The strategy outlined in the report includes redirecting hundreds of billions of dollars of investment in plastic production to alternative materials and recycling facilities, and expanding waste collection in developing countries.
- «Corona» behind the hills of waste, such as cans and fast food meals and covers purchases online.
The amount of plastics that invade the sea each year will rise from 11 to 29 million tons by 2040.