What is marine debris?
Disposable stuff. We all use it. It’s there when we’re in a rush and need to eat take-out food. It’s sanitary when it comes to medicinal purposes. Lastly, it’s extremely durable. Almost too durable for its own good. All those traits are the perfect recipe for marine debris, a large contributor to ocean pollution. So what is marine debris?
There are various types of ocean pollution: noise, nutrient, acidification, oil, and marine debris. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines marine debris as any disposed or abandoned human-made solid material that winds up in the ocean or Great Lakes. Though marine debris typically consists of single-use materials, items that were meant to last, but have been improperly disposed of, end up in the ocean and are also considered marine debris. Fishing gear is an example of a tool that is not meant to be thrown away but does get lost at sea. NOAA has a great video about marine debris if a visual/audio description is desired.
The fine print
Things start to get messy when trash gets broken down into smaller pieces. This process, called photodegradation, takes place thanks to the sun's rays. The problem is that it doesn't fully decompose like a banana peel would in a compost bin. Instead, a piece of plastic will continue to get smaller and smaller until it is so small that it is considered a microplastic (see the "Impacts" tab for what this does to the environment and people). The other problem lies historically within the fact that plastic has been a fairly new invention (early 1900's) and it wasn't until decades later did it start becoming prevalent in the environment. Its resilience has allowed it to outlast its purpose and the full impacts on the ocean are not yet known despite ongoing research. The conversation of plastic in the environment is not entirely new so hearing about a floating garbage island in the Pacific Ocean called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch may be common. While this is not an actual island of trash, it is more like plastic sludge in the water column, floating with the currents of the North Pacific gyre. There is trash in other ocean gyres, but the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the most notable for its magnitude.
There are various types of ocean pollution: noise, nutrient, acidification, oil, and marine debris. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines marine debris as any disposed or abandoned human-made solid material that winds up in the ocean or Great Lakes. Though marine debris typically consists of single-use materials, items that were meant to last, but have been improperly disposed of, end up in the ocean and are also considered marine debris. Fishing gear is an example of a tool that is not meant to be thrown away but does get lost at sea. NOAA has a great video about marine debris if a visual/audio description is desired.
The fine print
Things start to get messy when trash gets broken down into smaller pieces. This process, called photodegradation, takes place thanks to the sun's rays. The problem is that it doesn't fully decompose like a banana peel would in a compost bin. Instead, a piece of plastic will continue to get smaller and smaller until it is so small that it is considered a microplastic (see the "Impacts" tab for what this does to the environment and people). The other problem lies historically within the fact that plastic has been a fairly new invention (early 1900's) and it wasn't until decades later did it start becoming prevalent in the environment. Its resilience has allowed it to outlast its purpose and the full impacts on the ocean are not yet known despite ongoing research. The conversation of plastic in the environment is not entirely new so hearing about a floating garbage island in the Pacific Ocean called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch may be common. While this is not an actual island of trash, it is more like plastic sludge in the water column, floating with the currents of the North Pacific gyre. There is trash in other ocean gyres, but the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the most notable for its magnitude.
Definitions / key terms
Throughout this marine debris tab I will be referring to the following terms so let’s introduce the six R’s: rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle. They are listed below in this sequence to walk through the ideal order of how people can rearrange our perspective on what they do. There are no official definitions and I’m open to how others define these terms, but here’s how I interpret each.
I came across another R in the cycle: Rot. Can it be composted and reused by the earth? There are compostable containers and other biodegradable things used so I suppose I can incorporate this one as my seventh R. This wouldn't include food waste, however, as that is not strictly a human-made material. What do you think? Answer the anonymous poll below to share your thoughts.
Throughout this marine debris tab I will be referring to the following terms so let’s introduce the six R’s: rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle. They are listed below in this sequence to walk through the ideal order of how people can rearrange our perspective on what they do. There are no official definitions and I’m open to how others define these terms, but here’s how I interpret each.
- Rethink: Do we really need to use the straw? Have we considered our dependence on disposable items? What small steps can we start with to deviate from single-use things as best we can?
- Refuse: If there’s ever a chance to avoid a disposable item, take it. Some pay-by-weight bulk stores (compared to bulk stores like Costco) are superb locations to buy goods because you can bring your own container- before you load up on pinto beans, just tare the weight of the container so you'll only pay for the weight of the beans and not the beans with the container.
- Reduce: Some things we buy simply cannot be purchased without some sort of disposable packaging. Cosmetics, clothes, office supplies- you name it. But we can rethink what we really need and adjust our lifestyles to lessen the amount of material goods that we purchase (your wallet might thank you, too).
- Reuse: There’s no limit to how many times you can use a plastic fork. You can theoretically use it forever unless in breaks in which case see the step(s) below with regards to what state your broken fork is in.
- Repurpose: "Upcycle" is another term and though it is quite similar to reuse, I distinguish repurpose by reusing an item in a way that is different than its intended purpose. In other words, reusing the reused. Yogurt cups, fruit preserve jars, and aluminum cans all make great plant pots while their lids (if they have any) make perfect plant saucers. See the "What's next?" tab for ways that I repurpose my containers.
- Recycle: There will come a point where the item you have is no longer distinguishable. Once it is no longer of use and you have to get rid of it, then you can recycle it; it’s just a matter of whether or not it can be recycled. Just because things are plastic does not mean that it can go into the blue bins set for cans and bottles. Check your local recycling guidelines to see what can be recycled and disposed of.
I came across another R in the cycle: Rot. Can it be composted and reused by the earth? There are compostable containers and other biodegradable things used so I suppose I can incorporate this one as my seventh R. This wouldn't include food waste, however, as that is not strictly a human-made material. What do you think? Answer the anonymous poll below to share your thoughts.