M A N A G I N G WA S T E F O R C L E A N E R O C E A N S

T O D D K L E P E R I S

• Despite diligent efforts to control marine debris, unwanted fishing nets, industrial waste, and an abundance of plastic materials are still hazardous problems

• Luckily, at the recent fifth international Marine Debris Conference, an advanced set of rules were divulged that aimed to promote legal, technological, and market-based resolutions for waste management throughout oceans.

B E M I N D F U L O F T H E O C E A N

A W A R E N E S S O N A G L O B A L - S C A L E

• One major key element for managing marine debris was the consensus that practices to maintain waste must be practiced on a global scale.

• Programs to sustain national waste management will not only help control waste in seas, but will provide economic benefits for nations on a larger scale.

• The amount of marine waste that is produced annually has had severe consequences for not only marine habitats, but also for the global economy and human health.

• According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), a minimum of 267 marine species are affected by entanglement in plastic wastes or ingestion of various marine debris.

*Don’t forget about the Sea Turtles!

O C E A N P O L L U T I O N I S A T H R E AT T O H U M A N H E A LT H

• Many contaminants of the ocean are linked to cancer and other negative health associations, which, studies show, are accumulating on microplastics, entering the food chain when marine animals are ingested.

• The Honolulu Commitment, which was implemented to help tackle the global problem of plastic waste found in ocean, accumulated a new-found method for marine waste management.

• By approaching the problem cross-sectionally, the Honolulu Commitment stated that this would help to reduce damage caused to ocean habitats and the risks raised to human health.

• Prevention on land and on sea resources will be monitored as a way to reduce waste placed in oceans.

• By educating the public on the effects of marine debris and by demonstrating preventative measures that people should actively participate in, a large reduction in waste will result.

• Campaigns will focus on the extensive damage that can result from marine waste, specifically targeting litter on streets, illegal disposal of trash, and poorly maintained garbage dumps.

T H E H O N O L U L U C O M M I T M E N T : R A I S I N G AWA R E N E S S T O T H E P U B L I C

• The trick, according to UNEP, is finding ways to expose these consequences on small-scale levels.

• For instance, approaching specific communities and educating citizens on a more intimate level will receive higher levels of cooperation when it comes to waste management.

• Communities are more opt to respond when they are approached individually, instead of on a worldly-scale, where they are more inclined to feel less responsible for marine debris.

• Efforts of UNEP and the Honolulu Commitment will strive to educate the public on both global and community level scales

• If these efforts are not taken care of around the world, there will be terrible consequences for not only the health of marine animals, but for humans as well.

I N C O N C L U S I O N … .