Controlling Plastics at the Source
In 2020, 367 million tonnes (Mt) of plastic were produced worldwide (Tiseo, 2021) and is expected to double in the next 20 years (Lebreton and Andrady, 2019). The majority of this plastic ends up in landfills, open waste sites and littered throughout our environment and an increasing proportion ends up in rivers, lakes and oceans. Currently, it is estimated that 19-23 Mt of plastic enter aquatic ecosystems annually from land-based sources (UNEP, 2021). Preventing plastics from being released to the marine environment by limiting the release of plastics from the source (e.g. on site, in drains and in rivers) by using effective tools, equipment and technology is key to reducing the plastic output to our oceans and the wider environment.