Ocean Plastic Awareness Day: STATEMENT OF INTENT

   

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Ocean  Plastics  Awareness  Day  

Statement  of  Intent  

22nd  July  2015  

 

Introduction  

The  Ocean  Plastics  Awareness  Day  offers  NGOs,  academia,  local  and  national  government  and  industry  

an  opportunity  to  commit  to  exploring  and  delivering  pilot  circular  economy  projects  that  will  prevent  

the  flow  of  plastics  to  local  beaches  and  reuse  plastic  waste  removed  by  local  cleansing  activities.  

 

Cornwall  –  A  Circular  Economy  Model  For  The  UK  

Cornwall  has  some  of  the  most  beautiful  beaches  and  countryside  in  the  UK.  However,  all  too  often  they  

are  blighted  by  litter.  Signatories  will  support,  explore  and  develop  innovative  circular  economy  pilot  

projects  including:  

• Reduction   of   Single   Use   Bottles:   Increasing   the   number   of   accessible   water   fountains,   for  

example   at   beaches,   other   tourist   spots   and   university   campuses,   supported   by   additional  

voluntary   action   by   café   owners   to   give   a   discount   to   customers   bringing   their   own   reusable  

drinks  containers.  Other  measures  would  be  to  improve  plastic  bottle  recycling  schemes  in  these  

locations,   including   introducing  deposit   return   schemes   and  provide   access   to   free   re-­‐useable  

drinks  bottles.  

 

• Fishing   Net   Collection   &   Recycling:   The   implementation   of   further   innovative   fishing   net  

collection   and   recycling   schemes   to   produce   high   quality,   fully   recyclable   products   such   as  

carpet  tiles  and  skateboards.  

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• Plastic  Product  Innovation:  Working  with  industry  to  close  the  loop  on  plastic  marine  litter  by  

developing  and  delivering  innovative  collaborations  to  reuse  (marine)  plastic  waste  as  part  of  

useful,  durable  and  recyclable  products  from  clothing  to  car  parts.  

 

Exploring   and   extending   these   schemes   and   some   further   simple   actions   could   help   to   dramatically  

reduce  the  amount  of  litter  across  Cornwall’s  beaches,  countryside,  towns  and  villages.  Used  as  models  

of  best  practice,  similar  schemes  could  then  be  rolled  out  in  other  parts  of  the  country.    

 

Following  the  launch  of  this  Statement  of  Intent,  the  next  steps  will  be:      

 

• 7th  September,  2015  -­‐    Signatories  discuss  working  groups  to  take  projects  forward  

• Deliver  circular  economy  pilots  throughout  2015-­‐2016  

 

Signatories:      

Surfers  Against  Sewage,  The  Marine  Conservation  Society,  Clean  Cornwall,  Cornwall  Rural  Community  Charity,  Cornwall’s  Fisheries  Local  Action  Group,  Plymouth  University,  Plymouth  University   -­‐  Marine  Institute,  Plymouth  University   -­‐  Sustainability  &  Surfing  Group,  Newquay  Junior  Academy  Finisterre,  Keep   Britain   Tidy,   Riz   Boardshorts,   The   UK   Deposit   Alliance,   World   Animal   Protection,   Interface,  Cornwall  Wildlife  Trust,  Divers  Against  Debris,  The  Cornish  Seal  Sanctuary  and  The  Zoological  Society  of  London.      

 

Demonstrating  The  Need  for  Circular  Economy  Projects  To  Tackle  Marine  Litter    

 

Background  

The  United  Nations  Environment  Programme  (UNEP)  states  that  “marine  litter  poses  a  vast  and  growing  

threat   to   the   marine   and   coastal   environment”   (1)   Our   ‘throw–away’   consumer   culture   discards   a  

growing   number   of   unwanted   plastic   items   that   persist   in   the   environment,   resulting   in   the  

accumulation   of   plastic   litter   at   sea   and   on   beaches.   Litter   signifies   our   failure   to   achieve   a   circular  

economy  ‘one  that  is  restorative  by  design,  and  which  aims  to  keep  products,  components  and  materials  

at  their  highest  utility  and  value  at  all  times,  distinguishing  between  technical  and  biological  cycles.’(2)  If  

Ocean Plastic Awareness Day: STATEMENT OF INTENT

   

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no  action  is  taken,  the  environmental,  social  and  economic  impacts  of  the  increasing  amounts  of  litter  in  

the  marine  environment  and  on  our  beaches  will  continue  to  increase.    

 

Extent  of  the  problem  

Litter  can  be  found  on  every  beach  in  the  world,  even  those  on  remote  and  uninhabited  islands.  Around  

the  UK  beach  cleaning  activities  are  increasing  and  well  supported.    For  example,  in  the  past  18  months  

Surfers  Against  Sewage  have  mobilised  17,000  beach  clean  volunteers,  donating  approximately  65,000  

volunteer  hours  cleaning  their  beaches.    Together  these  volunteers  removed  90  tonnes  of  marine  litter  

from  more  than  500  beach  clean  events.      The  Marine  Conservation  Society  also  coordinates  a  UK-­‐wide  

beach   litter   survey   and   clean   up   programme,   and   has   the   longest   dataset   in   Europe.   Since   the   first  

survey   over   20   years   ago   (1994),   plastic   litter   on   UK   beaches   has   increased   by   180%   (now   ca.   1,400  

items/km  surveyed).  This  upward  trend  is  reflected  in  a  number  of  other  surveys  throughout  the  world.  

Plastic   items   have   always   dominated   the   litter   found   during   Beachwatch   surveys   and   consistently  

account  for  about  70%  of  all  litter.(3)  

 

The  most  immediate  effects  are  upon  ocean  wildlife  including  birds,  mammals  and  fish  that  mistakenly  

eat,   or  become  entangled   in,  marine   litter.(4)   The   costs  of   cleaning  up  marine   litter   at   coastal   resorts,  

harbours  and  ports  run   into  100s  of  millions  of  Euros  every  year,  with   impacts  on  people’s   livelihoods  

either  directly  through,  for  example,  snagging  of  fishing  gear  and  spoilt  catches,  or  indirectly  through  a  

reduction  in  tourism.(5)  

 

Litter   enters   the   marine   environment   from   a   variety   of   sources   including:   direct   littering   by   beach  

visitors;   litter   discarded   inland   and   blown   to   the   sea   by  winds   or   swept   there   via  waterways;   lost   or  

discarded   fishing   gear   from   fishing   vessels;   illegal   dumping   by   ships   and   small   marine   craft;   sewage  

discharges;  combined  sewage  overflows;  and  fly-­‐tipping.    

 

A  sea  change  is  needed  in  society’s  attitude  towards  marine  litter,  and  we  need  to  banish  the  outdated  

‘out   of   sight,   out   of   mind’   mode   of   thinking.   This   would   mean   a   much   greater   emphasis   on   waste  

reduction  and  sustainability,  seeing  waste  as  a  resource  and  preventing  waste  from  entering  the  marine  

environment.    

 

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Collecting   litter   from  beaches   is   important   as   it   allows   us   to  monitor   the   extent   of   the   problem,   and  

provides   the  most   visible   component   of   this   largely   invisible   form  of   pollution.  However,   once   in   our  

seas,   the   chances   of   retrieval   decrease   drastically   and   the   chances   of   harm   being   caused   increase  

greatly.  The  value  of  any  material   recovered  often  becomes  significantly   reduced.  Therefore,   it   is  vital  

that  we  work  towards  the  goal  of  zero  discharge  of  litter  to  the  marine  environment.    

 

Who  needs  to  take  action?    

To  ensure  that  we  can  finally  turn  the  tide  on  marine  litter,  all  players  in  the  litter  supply  chain,  including  

local  authorities,  port  authorities,  water  companies,   industry,  user  group  organisations,  the  public  and  

governments  at  local,  national  and  international  levels,  must  take  responsibility  by  ensuring:  

 

• Responsible  design  –  cradle  to  cradle  design,  eliminating  unnecessary  packaging,  reduction  of  single  use  

packaging,   design   for   reuse   and   repair,   increased   use   of   recyclate   in   products,   secure   transport   of  

materials  and  goods.    

• Responsible  use  –  refuse,  reduce,  reuse,  recycle.  

• Responsible   reuse/recycling     -­‐  provision  of  appropriate   facilities   for   collection,   recycling  and  disposal,  

facilities  and  systems  that  make  it  easy  for  the  consumer  to  do  the  right  thing,  development  of  markets  

for  recycled  materials,  hire/  loan  schemes  

• Responsible  Government  –   coordinated  marine   litter   strategies  between   the   four  UK  administrations,  

quantitative  litter  reduction  targets,  education,  enforcement  of  existing  laws,  fines  that  really  mean  that  

the  polluter  pays,  adherence  to  the  precautionary  principle,  levies/charge  systems,  deposit  systems.  

 

The  Surfers  Against  Sewage  Marine  Litter  Report,  2014  -­‐2020  Vision,  and  the  Marine  Conservation  

Society’s  Marine  Plastics  Pollution  Policy  and  Position  Statement  both  identify  the  true  scale  of  the  

environmental,  social  and  economical  impacts  the  marine  litter  crisis  is  having  on  the  UK.    The  reports  

feature  an  array  of  circular  economy  solutions,  detailing  the  role  that  industry,  government  and  

individuals  must  play  to  tackle  this  issue.(6,  7)          

Glossary  

Circular  economy   -­‐     ‘one   that   is   restorative  by  design,  and  which  aims   to  keep  products,   components  

and   materials   at   their   highest   utility   and   value   at   all   times,   distinguishing   between   technical   and  

biological  cycles.  (2)  

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Cradle   to   Cradle   -­‐   systems   or   product   design   that   are   efficient   and   eliminate  waste   –   a   closed   loop"  

approach.  

Design  for  Repair  –  the  design  of  goods  so  that  they  can  be  repaired  rather  than  discarded  should  one  

element  cease  to  work.  

Precautionary  Principle  -­‐   if  an  action  or  policy  has  a  suspected  risk  of  causing  harm  to  the  public  or  to  

the  environment,  in  the  absence  of  scientific  consensus  that  the  action  or  policy  is  harmful,  the  burden  

of  proof  that  it  is  not  harmful  falls  on  those  taking  the  action.  

References  

1. UNEP  (2005).  Marine  Litter,  an  Analytical  Overview.  2. http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-­‐economy/circular-­‐economy/the-­‐circular-­‐

model-­‐an-­‐overview  3. Marine   Conservation   Society   (2015).   Beachwatch   2014   -­‐   Nationwide   Beach   Clean   and   Survey  

Report.  MCS,  Ross-­‐on-­‐Wye,  UK.  4. Gall,  S.  C.  &  Thompson,  R.  C.  2015  The  impact  of  debris  on  marine  life.  Marine  Pollution  Bulletin  

92,  170-­‐179.  5. Mouat,   T.,   Lopez-­‐Lozano,   R.   &   Bateson,   H.   2010   Economic   impacts   of  Marine   litter,   pp.   117:  

KIMO  (Kommunenes  Internasjonale  Miljøorganisasjon  6. Surfer  Against  Sewage  (2014).  Marine  Litter  Report,  2014  –  2020  Vision.  SAS,  St  Agnes,  Cornwall  7. Marine  Conservation  Society  (2015)    Marine  Plastics  Pollution  policy  and  position  statement  

http://www.mcsuk.org/downloads/pollution/PPPS%20Marine%20Plastics.pdf