According to Geyer (2019), the management of the environment, especially the control of plastic pollution, is critical for the wellbeing of marine plants and animals, as well as the general good of populace across the world. The work by Geyer (2019) shows that plastic pollution is currently at an alarming level. Therefore urgent measures should be adapted to this environmental menace before experiencing the significant adverse impacts that are associated with it. After tracking the lifecycle of all plastics that have been produced since the 1950s, Geyer (2019) and other research investigators estimated the number of plastics produced at 8,300 million metric tons as of 2017. According to Geyer (2019), an estimated 30 percent of plastics that were created in the past are still used today, while the remaining 70 percent have been disposed of. Among the 70% that has been disposed of, it is estimated that 79 percent are accumulated in landfills & the environment, 12 percent is incinerated while 9 percent are recycled. The worst part is that these discarded plastics tend to outlive some future generations in human civilization. For instance, while a human being degrades in 80 to 100 years, the plastics take about 400 to 1000 years to degrade. Geyer (2019) shows concern that most plastics that have produced ever since the 1950s were produced in the most recent years. For instance, according to Geyer (2019), 50% of the plastics that have been produced since 1950 have been manufactured in the last 13 years. It is based on this background that this assessment aims at evaluating critically the information provided by Geyer (2019) in light of other sources of information that are relevant to this study. In this regard, this study is divided into (1) The Current State of Sources of Marine Plastics; (2) The Outcome and Effect of Marine Plastic Debris; and (3) The Possible Solutions for the Complicated Issue.

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The Current Sources of Marine Plastics

The work by Geyer (2019) uses clear pictures to show how plastics end being dumped into the rivers and seas. Various researchers also indicate the risk that plastic pollution causes to the waters. Therefore, it is critical to evaluate the sources of marine plastics.

Discharging Plastics Materials Direct to the Sea

The research by Carlini and Kleine (2018) indicates that households and individuals that live near the sea tend to throw plastic bottles and other plastics materials to the sea. This may explain the large volume of plastics on some beaches across the world. For instance, both local and foreign tourists tend to purchase water and soda in plastic bottles and later dumping these bottles on the beach. As argued by Sidhu and Desai (2018), the dumping of plastics into large water bodies, such as lake and sea, is a reflection of ignorance among consumers regarding the conservation of the environment. The research by Black, Kopke, and Cathal (2019) also pointed out that persons who travel by sea or ocean prefer disposing of plastic materials direct to the water body. For instance, the naval personnel is more likely than not to discharge plastic materials directly to the sea.

Ocean Currents

The ocean currents are also considered the contributor to plastic pollution in the shores of specific oceans and seas (Forrest et al., 2019). For instance, an ocean current can carry plastics from Australia and deposit them to the shores of an ocean in China and Africa. Based on the argument by Ludmila, Sokolov, and Kharitonova (2018), the ocean currents can be blamed for plastic pollution in the shores of oceans or seas in some countries due to the tendency of plastic materials floating on water instead of sinking. According to Guern (2018), while there are 100 thousand plastic items for each kilometer square on the sea bed, there are 300 thousand plastic items for every kilometer square on the sea surface. Based on the report provided by Said-Moorhouse (2018), about 150,000 thousand tons of plastic were floating on the ocean as of 2018. This demonstrates that the plastic materials have the tendency of floating on the sea, and thus they can easily be carried by ocean currents to the shores of the ocean or sea.

Single-Use of Plastic Materials

The large deposit of plastic debris in the ocean, seas, lakes, and other water bodies is also attributed to the single-use of plastic items. For instance, as informed by Chiras (2004), synthetic packaging materials are cheap, and therefore, consumers incline using them once. As such, once these materials are used, they are usually dumped. Some of them are dumped in landfills while others find their way into rivers, oceans, and seas. Based on the information provided by Mathuros (2016), a majority of the plastic packaging materials are merely used once. As such, 95 percent of the value relating to synthetic packaging materials (which is estimated at US$80,000 million to US$120,000 million) is lost to the economy each year. Therefore, due to the single-use of plastic packaging materials and other plastic materials, the landfills and ocean, among other water bodies, are expected to experience a significant increase in the amount of plastic debris.

Fishing Nets

The finishing nets have become a notorious source of plastic pollution in the sea and ocean, as argued by Ludmila, Sokolov, and Kharitonova (2018). According to Moore-Eissenberg (2019), parts of the fishing net can be broken up; since the fishing nets are majorly made up of plastics, they tend to leak toxins that poison the fish. According to Hammer, Kraak, and Parsons (2012), the discarded fishing nets and traps are the most significant source of plastic pollution in the ocean approximated at 90 percent of plastic debris in diverse regions.

The Outcome and Effect of Marine Plastic Debris

Geyer (2019) associate the plastic debris with several effects in the marine environment. For instance, Geyer (2019) argues that if the current rate of discarding waste materials continues, by the year 2050, the amount of plastic waste is expected to hit 12,000 million metric tons. Based on the pictures shown by Geyer (2019), the sea and ocean would be dominated by plastic debris almost to an unsustainable level, such as both the life of marine plants and animals, as well as the navigation of the water would be affected to a significant extent. It is critical to take into consideration other views on the effect of marine plastic debris.

Upsetting the Food Chain

The entire food chain is expected to be affected by the discard of plastic waste to the ocean and sea. For instance, plastic waste is associated with diverse toxic components, including lead, mercury, cadmium, and poisonous carcinogen. When the fish consume these poisonous components, human beings and other large animals that feed on fish are also affected. The research by Tibbetts (2015) shows that when human beings eat fish that are associated with toxic components relating to plastics are likely to develop complex health conditions, including congenital disability and cancer. As such, the plastic debris is hazardous in a sense; it upsets the whole food chain.

The Toxic Plastic Components Leaking to the Underground Water

The plastic debris has the effect of leaking toxic components, such as mercury, to the underground water. This is because when it rains, the rain is likely to carry some toxic elements of the plastic debris to the underground water. Therefore, when people consume such water (which most of the time they think is clean and pure), they are likely to suffer severe health conditions, including developing cancer (Black, Kopke and Cathal, 2019).

Entangling Fish and Other Marine Organisms

The entanglement of fish and other marine organisms by the plastic debris is a common occurrence in most plastic polluted seas and oceans. According to Julien and Billard (2019), the plastic materials, including the fishing traps and nets, have the tendency of entangling turtles and fish in the ocean, which either leads to a severe injury or death. Based on the view of Tibbetts (2015), the plastic debris can suffocate or drown a marine organism. In other circumstances, the aquatic animals and birds that are trapped by plastic waste starve since they cannot escape the trap to search for food; as a result, they die. Therefore, the tendency of plastic debris entangling marine organisms poses a great danger to the life of such plants in the ocean and sea.

A Reduction of Tourism

Regions with beautiful and clean ocean and seashores do attract tourists. This is because such shores provide a favorable environment for tourists to relax and enjoy various games on the beach and inside the waters, such as beach volleyball and swimming, among others. Tourism acts as a significant source of foreign income earner for most countries. Therefore, a country can suffer economically in the presence of plastic pollution.

Threatening the Livelihoods of Communities that Depend on Fishing and Other Marine Activities

Most communities that live along the coastline tend to depend on fishing as a form of business and source of food. Therefore, when the plastic pollution affects the lives of marine organisms, it also means that the livelihoods of persons that depend on fishing and other maritime activities. According to the information provided by Chiras (2004), at least 400 thousand marine mammals die each year in oceans owing to pollution caused by plastic debris. As such, when fish die as a result of plastic pollution, persons that dependent on fishing would not only face starvation but also experience difficult economic times.

Posing a Navigation Problem

In the presence of plastics, especially on the surface of the ocean and sea, it interferes with the safety of navigation of such waters, especially for ships. Oceans and seas are considered as effective means for transporting heavy cargos over long distances. According to the information provided by Said-Moorhouse (2018), 95 percent of the trade traveling in the UK is via the sea, thus showing how important the sea or ocean as a means of transport is critical to several countries in the world. Hence, when the sea is polluted with non-biodegradable material, the floating of these materials in large quantities in the ocean may make navigation over the waters or ocean chaotic, as argued by Finska and Howden (2018).

The Possible Solutions for the Complicated Issue

Several solutions can be provided for plastic pollution in the marine environment. These solutions cannot work independently if sufficient success is to be achieved. In other words, there is a need to combine all these solutions to achieve optimal success in dealing with plastic pollution in seas and oceans. These solutions are discussed below.

Recycling of Plastic Materials

While Geyer (2019) argues that recycling does not provide a solution to the plastic pollution that is experienced in the world today. The assessment demonstrates that the recycling of plastic materials would go a long way in addressing the menace of plastic pollution that is experienced in the marine environment. The vast quantities of plastic debris that are found in the ocean surface and seabed are a result of a single-use of plastic materials that are discarded while new ones are created. In this regard, this assessment accentuates that there is no need for producing new virgin plastic materials while the old ones are discarded. There is a need to introduce extensive facilities for recycling used plastic materials. The government should support such an initiative by either providing a subsidy or eliminating a hefty tax concerning such economic activities . This would make the process of recycling plastics cheaper, and therefore, encourage the recycling of plastic materials. This would not only reduce the production of virgin plastic items but would reduce the percentage of plastic materials that are disposed to the sea and ocean.

Encourage the Production of Biodegradable Materials

The plastic materials have been considered to take between 400 and 1000 years to degrade. This is the reason why they are a threat to the environment since beyond releasing toxic components to the environment, they choke marine animals, entangle them, and kill them. A more substantial amount of these materials pose a higher threat to aquatic organisms. For instance, according to Geyer (2019), if we do not control the current of producing plastics, the world would be associated with plastic debris of at least 12,000 million metric tons. This implies it is only by embracing biodegradable packaging materials that the world would see a reduction in the amount of plastic debris in the environment. For instance, when persons are forced to use bags that can degrade in a short period, the incremental cumulating of this type of waste is unlikely to be experienced since, within a shorter period, it tends to deteriorate. At the same time, the plastics would stop being used for packaging products, thus resulting in a consistent decline in the amount of plastic debris in the environment. According to Sidra and Ihsan (2019), when people stop using plastics for packaging, the amount of plastic waste is likely to remain at a stable level or reduce at a constant rate.

Educating People on the Need for Conserving the Environment

In line with the research by Memon et al. (2019), the higher amount of plastic debris that is witnessed in the present world is attributed to the ignorance of consumers. As asserted by Sidra and Ihsan (2019), consumers are not aware of the environmental effects of discarded plastics on the environment. As such, there have been continued increases in the number of plastics that are discarded to the environment by consumers. Therefore, it is essential to inform or educate consumers regarding the effects of plastic pollution. Furthermore, they should be educated on environmentally-friendly practices. For instance, they can be taught not to discard plastic materials once they use them; they should reuse them. They can also be informed to embrace biodegradable packaging materials. In light of understanding the risk of exposing the plant to plastic pollution and sustainable alternatives to adopt, they are likely to show a positive attitude and behavior towards conserving the environment as also opined by Black, Kopke, and Cathal (2019).

Impose Strict Regulations Concerning Plastic Pollution

Another strategy that can be used by a country in controlling plastic pollution is by introducing strict laws that guide an economy from both manufacturings and discarding of plastic materials in specific sectors. For instance, the supermarkets can be required to use biodegradable materials for packaging the customers’ items. In this regard, any person or institution that violates the law should face a hefty fine, including serving in prison for a relatively long period. The research by Tibbetts (2015) shows a human being is likely to change his or her behavior when pain is inflicted in him or her. Therefore, by inflicting pain on violators of the law would serve a vital role in addressing the problem of plastic pollution in an economy, especially in the marine environment. For instance, an act which states no ocean vessel (including ships) should be allowed to discard plastic materials in the ocean can be enacted. Such a law can be accompanied by consistent monitoring of the sea and beach, such as by the use of CCTV cameras, among other technologies that can be adopted such that those who violate the law can be brought into the book.

Conclusion

This assessment has evaluated the work of Geyer (2019) and attempted to answer several questions concerning this researcher’s work. For instance, the work by Geyer (2019) motivated this assessment to evaluate the current state of sources of marine plastics, the outcome, and effect of marine plastic debris, as well as the possible solutions for the complicated issue arising from the plastic waste. Among the sources of marine plastics in the present age include disposal of plastics and other debris direct to the sea/ocean, and ocean currents carrying the plastic materials to certain shores into the sea. The single consistent use of plastic materials (mainly based on the primary reason that they are cheap), and fishing nets and traps that tear or left in the ocean. On the other hand, the effects of marine plastic debris include: upsetting the food chain, leakage of toxic plastic components to underground water, entangling marine organisms, reducing tourism and its earnings, threatening the livelihoods of communities living along the coast, and posing a navigation safety problem. The leading solutions to this menace include recycling of plastic materials, encouraging the production of biodegradable materials (especially the packaging materials), educating consumers on the need to conserve the environment, and imposing strict regulations regarding plastic pollution.

References

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A Critical Evaluation of Marine Plastics in the Lenses of Roland Geyer’s Work

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Introduction