Synopsis
Sailing west through the Mediterranean, Tim Burgess and Mitch Nieuwenhuizen on the Water People Expedition encounter plastic pollution throughout their journey. Concerned about it they reach out to marine biologist Sergio Ruiz-Halpern from Save The Med, who explains that there is so much more than meets the eye. Deploying a manta trawl net, the crew finds microplastics, which are everywhere. Once ingested they can cause physical harm and toxic chemical exposure. It's a wake-up call for the crew who question their own lifestyle to see what can be changed and they look at particular threats to the Mediterranean that could be addressed by governments and industry.
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Take action as an individual*
*we wrote this for ourselves but it might be useful for you!
Advocate for change
When governments listen to science and citizens like us the potential for positive change is huge. We can, for example, push for: bans on single-use plastics where possible, for improved waste management, for use of better materials in industry and agriculture, for large-scale cleanup technologies, for nations to work together on new standards, and so much more. We can do this by signing petitions such as those for a strong Global Plastics Treaty, engaging with in-person and online communities and environmental organisations, voting in elections and also with our wallets.
Avoid cosmetic products with microplastics
Check the labels especially with exfoliating scrubs, makeup, skincare, hair care, toothpaste, nail products, and sunscreens. Common microplastic ingredients we should watch for on labels include polyethylene, polypropylene, polymethyl methacrylate, and acrylates copolymers.
Get involved in community action & cleanups
Link up with others and seek out organised events where volunteers come together to remove trash and plastic waste from local environments, such as parks, beaches, riverbanks, or neighbourhoods.
Stop using single-use plastics
Use our own re-usable containers such as water bottles, coffee flasks, shopping bags. Choose other materials for short-life products such as shavers and toothbrushes.
Minimise plastic packaging
Choose foods and cosmetics options with no/minimal plastic packaging. Glass, metal, and paper packaging recycles better. Explore options where we can take our own containers such as markets and some grocery stores. Support brands that ship their products with biodegradable packaging. Avoid clingfilm wrap and instead use containers and jars to preserve food.
Choose organic clothing over synthetic
Clothing sheds fibres through wearing and washing. So synthetic clothes release microplastics into the environment. We should look for cotton, linen, wool, hemp, bamboo, or speciality options like Tencel, silk, ramie, kapok or soy fabric.
Recycle what can be recycled
We can look at the labels of the products we buy regularly and make sure we're disposing of things in the best way.
Knowledge base
What are microplastics?
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles, typically smaller than 5mm. They originate from two main sources:
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Primary Microplastics: These are intentionally manufactured small particles, like microbeads found in personal care products, microfibres released from synthetic clothing during washing, or even plastic pellets which are the building blocks that haven't been converted into products yet.
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Secondary Microplastics: These are formed from the breakdown of larger plastic items (also known as macroplastics), such as bottles, bags, and fishing nets, due to environmental factors like UV radiation, waves, and physical abrasion. Microplastics can continue to be broken down into nanoplastics which pose a unique challenge due to their small size and potential to interact at a cellular level with organisms.
What are the dangers of plastic pollution?
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Plastics are derived from fossil fuels and have a high carbon footprint. Their production, transportation, and disposal contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
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Plastics take hundreds or thousands of years to degrade. Microplastics have been found in food, drinking water, and even the air we breathe and currently there is no technology for effectively removing them from the environment. We are on course to use 3x the amount of plastics by 2060 [1].
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Animals mistake plastics for food or get entangled, leading to injuries or death. Microplastics bioaccumulate up the food chain, particularly affecting larger animals such as humans. Watch this video about microplastics in seafood.
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Microplastics and nanoplastics can contain harmful chemicals like phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These chemicals are either added during the manufacturing process or adsorbed from the environment. Once ingested they may leach into the bloodstream, potentially causing endocrine disruption, reproductive issues, and developmental problems [2]. Lots of research is ongoing to better understand the dangers.
Our 3D render of global microplastic abundance at the ocean surface (ArcGIS) [Data sourced from 3]
Why is the situation so bad in the Mediterranean?
Microplastics are carried by the wind, stormwater run-offs, rivers and ocean currents so the problem is in fact global. The Mediterranean is mapped as a hotspot for numerous reasons:
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The high population density, coastal urban development, together with it being the world's most popular tourist area, leads to significant plastic waste production and disposal.
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The Mediterranean is a semi-enclosed sea, meaning it has limited water exchange with the open ocean. This geographic feature causes microplastics to accumulate within the basin rather than dispersing into larger bodies of water.
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High levels of land-based agriculture, fisheries, marine traffic all supplement the levels of plastic waste.
175 nations agree to develop a legally binding agreement on plastic pollution by 2024 (Photo: United Nations)
What do the solutions look like?
Richard Thompson, a leading marine scientist and pioneer in the study of microplastics, advocates for a fundamental shift in how we tackle plastic pollution. To fix the issue, he believes we must address the problem at its source by rethinking our entire relationship with plastic. In his interview with the Guardian in late 2023, he emphasizes that "the problem isn’t made in the ocean: it’s made by practices on land," and urges us to reduce production, particularly of single-use items, which constitute a large share of marine litter. Thompson cautions against relying on “techno-optimism” or solutions like cleanups and biodegradable plastics. Instead, he advocates for upstream solutions such as curbing unnecessary plastics, redesigning products for circularity, and reducing chemical additives. “Reduce has to be the first action,” Thompson states. He sees the upcoming UN-led Global Plastics Treaty as a crucial opportunity to address these issues.
References
1. GLOBAL PLASTICS OUTLOOK. OECD 2022
2. Ullah S, Ahmad S, Guo X, Ullah S, Ullah S, Nabi G, Wanghe K. A review of the endocrine disrupting effects of micro and nano plastic and their associated chemicals in mammals. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023
3. Bowley, Jake et al. Oceanic Hitchhikers – Assessing Pathogen Risks from Marine Microplastic. Trends in Microbiology, Volume 29, Issue 2, 107 - 116
On the Water People Expedition we are not living perfect lives when it comes to limiting our plastics use. Like most, we are on our own journey in our plastics transition — trying to learn and doing what we can to make positive lifestyle changes along the way. Living nomadically on a boat means we have to recalibrate ourselves in each new location regarding the products we buy and how we go about recycling. It's tricky, but that's what we're trying to do.
- Tim and Mitch
Thanks
The Lighthouse Foundation supported this project. They work with integrated and long-term approaches in the relationship between humans and the marine environment within the context of sustainable development. We're passionate about the same thing! Special thanks to Jens Ambsdorf and Andrea Eckl.
Save The Med and their marine biologist Sergio Ruiz-Halpern were key contributors on this project. They offered their time, manta trawl and some footage courtesy of Dan Abbott. Their mission is to enable the Mediterranean Sea to recover its rich biodiversity and to thrive in harmony with prospering, environmentally conscious and proactive local populations. Additional thanks to Estela Morón and Paula Huguet.
Get Involved
Adventure with the rest of the crew on the new boat, help document key stories, bring your ideas to the table.
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