New report outlines a path forward to reducing ocean plastic waste by 45 percent by 2025
NEW YORK, Sept. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Ocean Conservancy today announced the global launch of Stemming the Tide: Land-based strategies for a plastic-free ocean –
a first-of-its-kind, solutions-oriented report in partnership with the
McKinsey Center for Business and Environment that outlines specific
land-based solutions for plastic waste in the ocean, starting with the
elimination of plastic waste leakage in five priority countries (China, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand).
"Today's report, for the first
time, outlines a specific path forward for the reduction, and ultimate
elimination, of plastic waste in the oceans," said Andreas Merkl,
CEO of Ocean Conservancy. "The report's findings confirm what many have
long thought – that ocean plastic solutions actually begin on land. It
will take a coordinated effort of industry, NGOs and government to solve
this growing economic and environmental problem."
Eight million metric tonnes of
plastic leak into the world's ocean every year and the amounts continue
to grow. Without concerted global action, there could be one ton of
plastic for every 3 tons of fish by 2025, leading to massive
environmental, economic and health issues.
With at least 80 percent of
ocean plastic originating from land-based sources, the report's findings
propose a four-point solution to cutting leakage by 45 percent in the
next 10 years, dramatically reducing ocean plastic waste by 2025 with
the ultimate goal of eradicating the issue by 2035. The report estimates
that total costs for implementing these solutions could be contained at
$5 billion a year, with significant returns to the global economy.
"Considering this is a global
environmental challenge impacting sanitation and health, land values,
important sources of global protein, and the growth of the consumer
goods and packaging industries, an estimated $5 billion scale of intervention makes this one of the most solvable of the environmental challenges we collectively face," said Dr. Martin Stuchtey, director of the McKinsey Center for Business and Environment.
Stemming the Tide specifically underscores the important role of industry in driving the solutions and catalyzing public and private investment to solve the problem of ocean plastic leakage.
"We're committed to working toward a future of a plastic-free ocean," said Jeff Wooster,
global sustainability director, Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics, a
partner on the report. "Companies don't make plastic with the intent of
it ending up in the ocean, and we acknowledge the strong role industry
must play in order to help eliminate ocean plastic waste by 2035."
In the short and medium term, the
report calls for accelerated development of waste collection and
plugging of post-collection leakage, followed by the development and
rollout of commercially viable treatment options. In the long term, the
report identifies the critical need for innovations in recovery and
treatment technologies, development of new materials and product designs
that better facilitate reuse or recycling.
The report further emphasizes the
need for all approaches and solutions to be tailored at the regional
level, specifically in the five priority countries identified, which
account for half of all plastic leakage globally. While countries have
made major improvements in curbing plastic leakage, greater global
support is needed to scale impact swiftly in these priority regions.
"The issue of plastic waste in our
oceans is having drastic consequences on the livelihoods and health of
the people of Dagupan," said Belen Fernandez, Mayor of the city of Dagupan, a coastal community in the Philippines.
"Our town has had a dump site on our beach for over 50 years. We're
working hard to close the dump, and increase the capacity of waste
management in Dagupan. Addressing the problem of ocean plastic will have
real benefits for not just the environment, but for our citizens - by
improving their quality of life. I hope our city and our work will
become a model for what's possible around the world."
The report underscores that the
next 10 years will be critical to effectively solve the problem of ocean
plastic– a problem that is not just local, but global in nature. To
achieve success, the report calls for a concerted global response driven
by an international coalition of companies, governments and NGOs that
will catalyze commitments from political leadership, provide local
"proofs of concept," provide waste management technology support and
prioritize the ocean plastic waste issue as part of the global policy
agenda on the ocean and the environment.
The report is a signature
initiative of the Trash Free Seas Alliance, an effort of Ocean
Conservancy to unite industry, science and conservation leaders who
share a common goal for a healthy ocean free of trash. The report was
made possible through the support of numerous partners, including The
Dow Chemical Company, The Coca-Cola Company, the American Chemistry
Council, REDISA and World Wildlife Fund, as well as the following
funders: Adessium Foundation, 11th Hour Racing, Hollomon Price
Foundation, Forrest C. & Frances H. Lattner Foundation and Mariposa
Foundation.
To download the full version of the report as well as additional assets for the launch, visit the report's landing page here.
Contact
The Stemming the Tide report is
a signature initiative of the Trash Free Seas Alliance®, a unique forum
launched by Ocean Conservancy in 2012 that brings together industry,
science, and conservation leaders. The Alliance focuses on identifying
opportunities for cross-sector solutions that drive action and foster
innovation towards a healthy ocean free of trash.
About Ocean Conservancy
Ocean Conservancy is working
with you to protect the ocean from today's greatest global challenges.
Together, we create science-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the
wildlife and communities that depend on it. www.oceanconservancy.org
About The McKinsey Center for Business and Environment
The McKinsey Center for
Business and Environment works with businesses, governments, and
nonprofits to tackle some the world's most pressing and important
natural resource issues in ways that improve both economic growth and
resource use. www.mckinsey.com/client_service/sustainability/mckinsey_center_for_business_and_environment
RELATED LINKS
http://www.oceanconservancy.org
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