June 8, 2018 - On the occasion of the World Ocean Day, the WWF's alarming report "Exiting the Plastic Trap: Rescue the Mediterranean from Plastic Pollution" points to the dramatic consequences of excessive use of plastics, poor waste management and mass tourism in one of the most visited regions in the world.
Gathering the latest data and scientific evidence on plastic use in Europe and the many ways plastic affects marine ecosystems, the report presents an exhaustive plan of urgent measures that institutions, businesses, and citizens need to take to prevent plastic waste from reaching the sea.
"The effects of plastic pollution on the Mediterranean are felt around the world and cause serious damage to nature and human health. If plastic pollution increases, it will undermine the global reputation of the Mediterranean as the top tourist destination and the source of quality fishery products, undermining local communities that depend on these sectors. The plastic problem is also a symptom of the overall decline in the health of the Mediterranean and must serve as a call for concrete action," said John Tanzer, head of the WWF International Marine and Sea Protection Program.
Plastic products today account for 95 percent of the waste that floats on the Mediterranean Sea or lies on the beaches. Most of the plastic waste in the sea comes from Turkey and Spain, followed by Italy, Egypt, and France. Due to increased tourism, the amount of marine waste increases every summer by as much as 40 percent.
Large plastic parts hurt, tear and often kill marine animals, including protected and endangered species such as sea turtles and Mediterranean bears. However, microplasty, which is smaller and smaller plastic, reached record levels of 1.25 million cubic meters per square kilometer in the Mediterranean Sea, nearly four times more than the "plastic island" found in the North Pacific Ocean. By entering into the food chain, fragments of oysters are endangered by an increasing number of animal species as well as humans.
"In Europe, we produce a huge amount of plastic waste, most of which is sent to landfills, resulting in millions of tons of plastic entering the Mediterranean Sea each year. This contaminated stream, combined with the semi-interstellar Mediterranean, has led to microplasty reaching record levels of concentration, threatening marine species and human health," says Mosor Prvan, an expert on marine protection at WWF Adria.
"We cannot allow the Mediterranean to drown in plastic. We have to act urgently and within the entire supply chain to preserve our sea from ubiquitous plastic," said Mosor Prvan.
According to the report, delays and "holes" in the management of plastic waste in most Mediterranean countries are among the leading causes of plastic pollution. Of the 27 million tons of plastic waste produced each year in Europe, only one-third of it is recycled; half of the plastic debris in Italy, France, and Spain ends at landfills. Recycled plastics currently account for only six percent of plastic demand in Europe.
WWF invites governments, businesses, and individuals to adopt many measures to reduce pollution of plastic waste in urban, coastal and marine environments in the Mediterranean and globally.
"Plastic pollution is a huge problem to solve by only one continent, one government or one industrial sector. Only by acting together can we free our oceans, seas, rivers, cities, and lives from unnecessary plastics," concluded Mosor Prvan in his opening statement from WWF Adria Zagreb.
