A catamaran made of 12,500 recycled plastic bottles sailed into Sydney Harbour Monday after a 15,000 kilometre trek across the Pacific Ocean meant to draw attention to plastic pollution.
The Plastiki, held together with sugar cane and cashew glue, is proof that trash can be turned into something useful, expedition leader David de Rothschild said. The six-member crew's journey to Australia, which began in San Francisco in March, was inspired by a United Nations Environment Programme report that highlighted the threat of plastic pollution to the world's oceans.
More than 13,000 pieces of plastic litter the surface of each square kilometre of ocean, according to UNEP - just about the number of pieces that made up the sailboat.
People who don't properly recycle or throw away plastic are responsible for the pollution in the world's waters, said Kai Chan, assistant professor and Canada Research Chair at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia. Plastic left on the ground is blown into storm drains, sewage systems and rivers, which eventually carry it to the ocean.
"If somebody leaves something on the street, it's much more likely to end up in the ocean than if one puts it in a proper garbage or recycling receptacle," Prof. Chan said. Merchant ships, ferries, cruise liners and fishing vessels that lose plastic or throw waste overboard are also responsible.
The marine litter isn't just an eyesore: seabirds and marine wildlife often mistake lighters, toothbrushes and smaller pieces of plastic for food and eat it, Prof. Chan said. Fisheries and Oceans Canada recently reported that a plastic bag was in the stomach of a leatherback sea turtle found dead off the coast of Newfoundland. The plastic bag looked like a jellyfish, and must have been eaten by mistake. UNEP estimates plastic litter kills 100,000 turtles, dolphins, whales, seals and other marine mammals each year.
Animals aren't the only ones affected. Bigger pieces of plastic aren't of much concern to human health, but research shows that small bits of plastic also make their way onto dinner plates with fish, Prof. Chan said. Plastic doesn't biodegrade, but waves and sun exposure break it down into tiny pieces.
"Once they get to be really small pieces, they get ingested and then they stay in organisms. We eat organisms, so they get into us," he said. "They're in every bite of fish that we eat." Knowledge about the resulting health effects, if any, is limited, he said.
The responsibility to clean up the littered waters belongs to everyone, Prof. Chan said.
"It's a global common problem - pollution of those oceans can happen everywhere, so it's collectively our responsibility to clean it up," he said. The fact plastic pollution in oceans is increasing is also evidence that people, companies and governments need to change the way they think about and use plastic, Prof. Chan said.
"Plastic is useful but often not necessary," he said. "The more disposable a product, the more of a problem it is from this aspect of plastic waste in the ocean."
With a report from the Associated Press
LIFE WITHOUT PLASTIC
Plastiki crew members challenged people on their website to stop using plastic bottles, plastic bags and styrene foam. Marine conservationist and blogger Taina Uitto pledged to do just that - and more - on Jan. 1 when she started writing about living without plastic for a year. Ms. Uitto is only halfway through chronicling her experiences on her blog, Plastic Manners, but has already decided to give up plastics for good. Ms. Uitto has some tips:
- never leave the house without cloth bags;
- use glass jars and paper bags to store and freeze food;
- bring your own containers to restaurants for takeaway and leftovers.