Activity involving the reduction of single use plastic has been increasing in our industry. This has been seen in everything from commitments to use soap dispensers to the elimination of plastic straws. One of the biggest problems with plastic is its final resting place—our oceans. SLO active, a social enterprise dedicated to cleaning up our oceans, recently published a guide entitled, “Plastic Pollution: Single Use Plastic Impact on Our Oceans.” Be sure to check it out. It comprehensively details the facts and figures of plastic pollution, the impact on our oceans and marine life, and much more. It will help you build a case for beginning to eliminate plastics at your hotel.
The website explains where ocean plastic comes from, details just how much plastic is in the ocean, shows where the garbage patches are, explains what microplastics are, explains the impact on marine life, and offers solutions to the problem.
A few takeaways from Plastic Pollution: Single Use Plastic Impact on Our Oceans:
- A study published in 2017 estimated between 1.15 to 2.41 million tons of plastic enters the oceans via rivers annually, with peak months being between May and October. The top 20 contributing rivers, which according to the report are mostly found in Asia, contribute around 67 percent of all plastics flowing into the ocean from rivers around the world.
- The demand for plastic has increased dramatically over the last 70 years. According to Plastic Ocean, 300 million tons of plastic is produced globally every year. Half of that plastic is used for disposable items that will only be used once.
- Plastics and polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) comprise 90 percent of all marine debris, with food and beverage containers being one of the most common items found in ocean and coastal surveys. Our industry uses a lot of plastic and foam containers.
- Furthermore, plastics and polystyrene are made up of toxic chemicals, including petroleum, which may be released as the gastric juices try to digest it, and are absorbed into the body tissue. These toxins also leach into the water column as plastics break down, contaminating filter feeding organisms who ingest the water while feeding.
