What can we do about marine debris?

*Removing marine debris through shoreline cleanups is one way we can prevent it from getting into the ocean (Credit: NOAA).*

Marine debris comes from people, but we can also be the solution. Many communities are hard at work to trap trash before it enters waterways, and to collect debris from our ocean and Great Lakes.

One way to help solve the problem of marine debris is to lead or participate in a community cleanup. There is trash on the ground everywhere, not just on our coasts. Look around your neighborhood, where you work, your local park, or where you go to school. These are great locations to host a cleanup! By picking up the trash we find on our local streets, in our rivers and streams, and on our beaches, we can prevent that waste from becoming marine debris. Starting a cleanup is easy, but if you would rather just participate, sign up for a cleanup with a local organization.

However, these efforts can’t keep up with the stream of debris entering waterways. Scientists estimate that in 2016, as much as 23 million metric tons (equivalent to more than 150,000 blue whales) of plastic waste entered waterways from land around the world. And that’s just plastic debris, not other types of debris or ocean-based items like fishing gear or abandoned boats.

Prevention is key to solving the marine debris problem. When a sink is overflowing, the first thing you need to do before you clean up the water is to turn the tap off. That is exactly how prevention works. By preventing marine debris from entering the environment to begin with, we can hopefully stop this problem for good.

*Help prevent marine debris by using a reusable bag and your own containers when you shop whenever possible! (Credit: NOAA).*

To prevent marine debris, we need to understand where it is coming from. It’s hard to identify specific sources, but we know that marine debris enters our waterways and ocean in a variety of ways. Ineffective or improper waste management, dumping or littering, and stormwater runoff all lead to marine debris. If we want to "turn off the tap," everyone, including government, businesses, and individuals, will have to make meaningful changes.

There is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to marine debris, and debris affects communities around the country in different ways. Beach-side Floridian communities may be concerned with abandoned vessels. In coastal communities throughout the Northeast, lost fishing gear may be more common. If you live inland, trash in the ocean and Great Lakes may not be directly visible, but your community may still have a role in creating the waste that becomes marine debris. Finding solutions that work for your community makes the fight against marine debris more effective. By working together, we can have a larger impact.

A great way to start making an impact is to practice the 4Rs:

Refuse single-use plastics by saying “no thanks!” to unnecessary items.
Reuse what you have, and invest in durable reusable products when you can.
Reduce the amount of single-use or disposable items you use by minimizing packaging or buying items in bulk.
Recycle materials properly if there are accessible facilities in your area, and reach out to your local municipality to learn what you can recycle.

And these aren’t the only ways you can prevent and reduce marine debris!