Plastic debris pollution is one of the world’s most prevalent pollution problems, affecting oceans and inland waterways. An estimated 10% of plastic waste ends up in the ocean, endangering marine turtles and altering the physical properties of the marine environment.
As a result of mass production, plastics have spread throughout the marine environment and are now particularly common in marine ecosystems, significantly threatening environmental and human health as well as the economy. Most of this plastic waste comes from unregulated use, manufacturing and importation, indiscriminately dumped or deposited at dumpsites and landfills. Significant quantities of plastic debris originate from various activities such as tourism, fishing and other recreational activities on beaches.
If waste management does not improve, the total amount of plastic waste entering the ocean is expected to increase by an order of magnitude by 2025. Evidence suggests that even remote and protected areas are not immune to plastic pollution, and it is essential to identify marine macro-plastics that have washed up on beaches to determine the source of the pollution and develop the best cleanup plans. In the Philippines, for example, marine plastic research is critical because the country is heavily reliant on the marine environment and the ecosystem services it provides. Results of a macro-plastic waste characterisation study along the coastal boulevard to develop both ecologically and economically sound management plans and policy recommendations are presented on page 183.
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