Marine Litter Vital Graphics

DEFINITIONS

Marine litter (or debris)* is waste created by humans that has been discharged into the coastal or marine environment. It is defined as“any anthropogenic, manufactured, or processed solid material (regardless of size) discarded, disposed of, or abandoned in the environment, including all materials discarded into the sea, on the shore, or brought indirectly to the sea by rivers, sewage, storm water, waves, or winds” (UNEP and NOAA, 2012). What is marine litter and why it is of concern

Any human-made object that does not naturally degrade within days or months can potentially become marine litter if it is not properly managed. Common litter items are made of paper, wood, textiles, metal, glass, ceramics, rubber and plastic discarded by humans (UNEP, 2005).

Just as human activities are varied and widespread, so are the sources of litter. The sources may be located directly at sea, on the coast or further inland. Litter can be transported over long distances and into all marine habitats – from the surf zone all the way to remote mid-oceanic gyres and the deep sea floor. Like other pollutants, marine litter affects habitats, ecological function and the health of organisms of the ecosystems where it accumulates.

*The terms litter and debris are considered to have the same meaning in this report and are used interchangeably throughout.

Are most of the plastics produced still around?

ca 70 years

Average human life expectancy

2 nd generation

3 rd generation

4 th generation

few minutes to few days

Use lifespan of single use plastic products

few weeks to few years

Use lifespan of short-lived plastic products

ca 30 years

Use lifespan of long-lived plastic products

Estimated time range for plastic degradation in the marine environment

Hundreds to thousands of years

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Source: Barnes, D. K., et al., Accumulation and fragmentation of plastic debris in global environments, Biological Sciences

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Marine Litter Vital Graphics