Plastic pollution has become a major problem for the world’s

oceans and rivers.

Problem - Solution Essay

Tran Duc Cong - HA173021

The predominance of plastic in packaging, along with insufficient recycling and poor
disposal, has resulted in huge plastic pollution disasters in countries all over the world.
Additionally, plastic has spread throughout the countryside and cities, while microplastics
have polluted the oceans and waterways and severely damaged the health of marine life. This
essay will highlight the problem of concern and propose solutions to limit the harm caused by
the use of plastic in the water environment.

Plastic garbage is becoming increasingly common in the seasides and rivers due to a lack of
recycling, reckless disposal, and human consciousness. Shipping and fishing are also major
contributors to plastic pollution in the ocean. The majority of ocean plastic pollution is
produced by mismanaged plastic trash, which is not collected and dealt with through
recycling or cremation. Sea species like sea turtles and seagulls can consume plastic bags and
containers, rendering them unpalatable and becoming lodged in their throats. Smaller animals
can become caught in sacks or cans and suffocate. In 2010, 192 coastal nations created 275
million metric tons (MT) of plastic garbage, with 4.8 to 12.7 million MT entering the ocean (
Jenna R Jambeck, at el, 2020 ).

Another problem to consider is harmful chemicals entering the food chain. According to
estimates based on 26 studies, the US population consumes 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic
particles per year (depending on age and gender). This data was obtained by evaluating 15%
of the caloric intake of Americans, which included the content of microplastics in seafood
( Klára Cverenkárová, at el, 2021). Normally, the creation of plastics from chemical agents is
difficult to reuse or recycle, so they are discarded as trash, burnt, or disposed of in landfills.
Once in the environment, they break down into microplastics, which are mistaken for food
and enter the food system. These microplastics have been proven to behave as small "bio-
sponges" for hazardous substances, transforming a plastic particle from chemically innocuous
to potentially lethal. Microparticles were thought to pass through the gastrointestinal tracts of
animals and humans with no biological consequence, but research has demonstrated that they
are occasionally taken up and disseminated throughout the circulatory and lymphatic systems
and may be stored in the fatty tissues of many creatures. Every year, small fish eat small
pieces of plastic debris which are decomposing plastics, leading to bigger fish eating small
fish and fishermen selling it for consumers. This can cause a variety of health issues,
including cancer and other species.

Moreover, plastic can clog up waterways and create marine debris. Plastic may infiltrate the
ecosystem in a matter of seconds, yet the environmental consequences can persist for
generations. They will clog river pipes, preventing water from flowing to residential areas
and even causing the ocean to become cloudy. It is anticipated that by 2050, the quantity of
plastic in our oceans would outnumber fish.

The problem of plastic pollution in rivers and oceans could be mitigated by a plastic ban. For
instance,The US government enacted a plastic ban in 2020, making New York the third state
to impose a statewide ban. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation
initially stated that it intended to focus on education rather than punishment, but in recent
weeks, posters have arisen in businesses warning consumers of the changes and a social
media campaign is pushing people to "bring your own bag". ALDI Australia has pledged to
reduce plastic packaging in their stores by 25% in 2019, and has moved away from unneeded
plastics by using cardboard punnets for a variety of fruit, removing plastic bags from banana
stands, and introducing composting zucchini trays. This has diverted almost 76 tonnes of
plastic from garbage.. Last but not least, individuals in the community should be engaged in
propagating and distributing people not to throw garbage indiscriminately at beaches, rivers
and tourist areas.

Plastic contamination in our seas cannot be fixed just via government legislation; individuals
must also take action. The rigour of government and the consciousness of citizens will
succeed in dealing with the problem of ocean pollution because if the government has
sensible policies and the people follow them, the problem of ocean pollution will be solved.
On the other hand,the government must also discover measures to penalise and prevent some
elements that may impede solutions, such as industries that do not handle plastic trash as
necessary and some retailers or residents who do not follow the legislation prohibiting the use
of plastic items.

In conclusion, Plastic use has resulted in chronic environmental deterioration, which has had
serious consequences for oceans due to pollution of water, air, and food supply. Clearly,
considerable resources are necessary to reduce the environmental impact of these things, thus
both governments and citizens must work together to solve this problem.

Reference :
 G.G.N. Thushari, J.D.M. Senevirathna 2020, Plastic pollution in the marine environment.
Link : https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844020315528?
fbclid=IwAR3u6221vn6of_2rgd67pZJR447OBM8R_VmWsPyNKXo-YrV2eqNhgieEaPg

Klára Cverenkárová, at el, 2021, Microplastics in the Food Chain

Link : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8704590/?
fbclid=IwAR0ZQ59Oo9JxBlCeHtlmnkFAgPziZoPJiXe9CAC7QFHkJnh6jcm3PwIR38U

Jenna R Jambeck, at el, 2015, Marine pollution. Plastic waste inputs from land into the
ocean.

Link : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25678662/

Miranda Bryant, 2020, New York: plastic bag ban takes effect to address ‘environmental
blights’

Link : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/01/new-york-plastic-bag-ban-starts?
fbclid=IwAR3ynpA8TW2ANPxeZOQMzl8qke9EHBLDwr5-x_27MZdTxSo1FM3zs99lOEo

Kathy Skantzos, 2020, Aldi plans to reduce plastic use in packaging by 25 per cent by
2025
Link : https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/aldi-plans-to-reduce-plastic-use-in-
packaging-by-25-per-cent-by-2025/news-story/ecbebba09e442f6fdd963b4cfc47d226