Plastic pollution is one of the greatest anthropogenic threats our planet faces and protection of the marine environment is a common concern of humankind.
The main component of sea-based sources of marine plastic pollution is abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear, also referred to as ghost gear. Fishing gear accounts for approximately 10 per cent of global marine plastic pollution though in some regions it is closer to half the overall mass in our oceans and seas.
Plastic pollution can now be found everywhere, from the remote shores of the Arctic to the deepest parts of the ocean. Up to 12 million tonnes of plastic leak into the marine environment annually, harming biodiversity and posing a threat to food security, sustainability and human health.
Today we release, with partner Greenpeace, the new report ‘Checking Out on Plastics II: Breakthroughs and backtracking from supermarkets’, revealing that seven of the top 10 supermarkets had increased the plastic packaging they use, also known as their ‘plastic footprint’.
In this report, the Environmental Investigation Agency and Greenpeace UK present the findings of the most comprehensive survey to date on how supermarkets are addressing plastic pollution
As the debate on plastic pollution heats up, non-conventional plastics including biodegradable, bio-based, compostable and oxo-degradable are sometimes promoted as sustainable alternatives as companies and policy-makers look to shift away from polymers derived from fossil fuels