Today, on World Cleanup Day, actions around the globe are taking place to raise awareness on shore and water pollution. Each year, millions of tonnes of waste from various human activities end up in the ocean, causing severe environmental and health problems [1]. Marine litter is defined as ‘any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded, disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment’ [2]. Plastic pollution constitutes 85% of marine litter, with 50% being single-use plastic. Currently, the ocean contains over 150 million tonnes of plastic, and this amount is expected to grow as approximately 4.8-12.7 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year [3]. Around 80% of marine litter originates from land. Maritime activities such as coastal tourism and recreation, fishing, aquaculture or shipping contribute the remainder 20% [4]. This plastic pollution appears in various forms: macroplastics (over 20 cm), microplastics (under 5 mm), and even invisible nanoparticles [1]. Macroplastics can entangle and harm wildlife, while microplastics are ingested and travel through the food chain, exposing both wildlife and humans to harmful chemicals [5]. Marine litter can also cause serious economic damage by deterring tourism and increasing litter in fishermen’s catches [4]. Some plastics last up to 500 years. If improperly managed, waste eventually flows into rivers and seas, leading to pollution in 75% of assessed coastal and marine areas in Europe [6].
The prevalence of marine litter is illustrated in our Map of the Week, which displays monitoring information on plastic bags on both beaches and the seafloor. Beach litter is represented by the median number of plastic bags along 100-metre segments along European beaches, as monitored by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) between 2001 and 2022. Seafloor litter is shown as the average number of bags collected in fish-trawl surveys conducted in 2021. The varying sizes of plastic bags on the map indicate different levels of density / number of plastic bags along 100-metre segments along beaches as shown in the legend. Zoom in the map and click on the bags to see information for specific locations. Note that the absence of collected data in some areas does not imply that they are free from plastic bags.
European policies are addressing marine litter. As part of the Circular Economy Action Plan, the European Union (EU) elaborated a Plastic Strategy aiming to reduce marine litter. For instance, to prevent microplastic pollution at source, the EU implemented a target of reducing microplastics releases into the environment by 30% by 2030 in the Zero Pollution Action Plan. This Action Plan aims to improve water, soil and air quality, thereby improving public health. The European Commission (EC) also proposed measures to prevent microplastic pollution from unintentional plastic pellets release, which is expected to contribute to cleaner rivers and ocean. Finally, the MSFD and the Single-Use Plastic Directive also address this issue. While legislation plays a crucial role, preventive measures such as reducing plastic consumption and promoting sustainable alternatives are essential for effectively tackling plastic pollution and protecting coastal and marine ecosystems. We thus all have a role to play.
Wish to know more about marine litter and what can be done to address it?
Learn more
- Read about marine litter with the Marine Water Information System for Europe;
- Watch the National Geographic video series to grasp the severe environmental, economic and health impacts of plastic;
- Learn about the EU’s initiatives against microplastic pollution;
- Discover the latest plastic cleanup technologies through with the Ocean Cleanup Initiative.
Act now
- Will you be in Brussels or Athens on 21 September? Join EU4Ocean at one of the #MakeEUBlue: From Source to Shores Beach Cleanup event for a cross-country effort to protect our waters and shores! Register now;
- Participate in a local cleanup this weekend for World Cleanup Day;
- Learn about the #EUBeach Cleanup campaign and organise a cleanup before the end of October;
- Register to attend the Plastic Pirates Summit on 5-6 November, either in person or online, to discuss how to combat plastic pollution and learn about citizen science initiatives across Europe;
- Find out how to prevent pollution by making small changes in your daily life with National Geographic’s tips.
The data in this map are provided by EMODnet.
[1] https://marine.copernicus.eu/explainers/phenomena-threats/plastic-pollution
[2] https://www.unep.org/topics/ocean-seas-and-coasts/regional-seas-programme/marine-litter
[4] https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/european-marine-litter-assessment/human-needs-the-drivers-of
[5] https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-46146-0_5
[5] https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/european-marine-litter-assessment