Plastic Pollution

by Joanna RudaJo Kaminska Foundation

PLASTIC WASTE LAND: *leakage of toxins

into underground water, *animals eating plastic, *most of plastic from land will end up in the Oceans

WATER: *80% of ocean debris comes from land, *affecting marine life and ecosystems,

MACROPLASTIC Not enough scientific studies

Why is plastic DANGEROUS? Killing up to 100,000 marine species

per year and 1 mln birds, affecting ecosystems

Contains toxic substances Contains estrogen-mimicking

substances – change of sex ratio in fish (>females) + Changing puberty patterns in our children

Contains cancer related substances (medical concerns)

MICROPLASTIC Found in fish >>our plates>>into our

children and us Attracts toxins – if we can’t digest

them, we will accumulate them >> health problems

Microparticles in water we drink -if we can’t digest them, we will accumulate them >> health problems

SOLUTIONS Better Waste Management Systems INFORMATION – Educational programmes Government + NGOs working together (edu + real

initiatives) Governmental policies Talking openly about the INDUSTRY RESPONSIBILITY

(10%GDP) – nothing is mentioned in official papers ZERO WASTE POLICY (going back to natural solutions) R&D – looking for innovative possibilites (not everything

that is biodegradable is a good solution – it must break down quickly into natural components to be able to be absorbed by nature)

HOW?

Educational programmes at grassroots level + national policies together (not leaving it all in the hands of NGOs, it must be tacked by the govenment policy makers)

ZERO WASTE POLICY Openly talk about the responsibility of the Industry (in

none of the recent UNEP literature has it been mentioned – our responsibility to tackle this problem)

Call for more reseach and scientific proof

JKF Experience

In 3 years teachers from 165 schools from the Southern Province trained with a special programme

One exchange programe between a Sri Lankan school and a Polish school

2 beach clean ups – the 2nd one with the collaboraion with the Ocean University from Tangalle

Comprehensive programme for 2016 to tackle all levels of the society for one entire province in Sri Lanka. This project is being developed under the patronage of the Minister of Waterways.