Marine Litter Causes, Impacts and

International Policy Framework

Jerker Tamelander

COBSEA / UN Environment

ASEAN Conference on Reducing Marine Debris in the Region 22-23 November 2017, Phuket, Thailand

The Issue

Plastic is a solution that has become a problem

Plastics are now ubiquitous in the ocean: on shorelines, in coastal waters, the water column, on the

seabed, including the most remote environments such as polar regions, mid-ocean and deep trenches

The quantity observed floating in ocean gyres represents only a small fraction

Where does it come from?

Global annual production of plastics 1.5 Mt in 1950s; 300 Mt currently

40% is used for packaging, a further 22% used for consumer and

household goods, furniture, sport, and the health and safety sectors

Half of plastic production is single use, average recycling rate only 14 %

“Every piece of plastic that has ever been made is still in existence”

8 Mt of plastic leak into the ocean

annually; 2.5% of production

Leakage along the value chain:

raw material, manufacture, use, waste

direct discharge

(at sea or on the coast)

mismanaged plastic waste

(poor collection and management)

wastewater outfall

(poor treatment)

Asia Rapid growth in plastic

production and use

Inadequate management

of solid waste and

wastewater

High production of

plastics that end up as

marine litter

Manufacturing often

relatively polluting

Impacts – environment

Impacts – human health

Human health implications difficult to assess fully

• micro- and nanoplastics in seafood; bioaccumulation of endocrine disruptors

• toxicity of plastic additives such as flame retardants, antioxidants, UV-stabilizers and plasticizers;

highest human health risk from polyurethanes (hard plastic, fibres), polyvinylchloride (pipes, bottles,

non-food packaging), epoxy resins (adhesives, metal coatings) and styrenic polymers (insulation)

• adsorbed compounds (polyaromatic hydrocarbons and metals), and pathogens on plastic surface

Human uptake through seafood appears no more significant than other human exposure pathways,

but significant knowledge gaps e.g. related to nano-sized particles

Significant risk from blocked storm drains; vector borne diseases; loss of life or injury at sea

Impacts – economy

The full extent of the impact of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems and human health still unknown => the economic costs are difficult to assess fully

• total annual natural capital cost estimated at USD 8 billion per year

• two thirds in food, beverage and retail sectors: revenue loss to fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, and beach cleanup costs

• shipping: fouling, breakdowns and delays; estimated at USD 279 million per year in the APEC region

• weak connection between sectors of the economy producing plastic products and those affected by their inappropriate disposal

Why?

• Plastics are immensely versatile

• Social attitudes/consumer behavior

• Long term implications at least initially poorly understood

• Highly transboundary

• Environmental costs of plastics not internalized

• Policy and regulatory frameworks not keeping pace with development

Global and regional governance framework

UN Environment Assembly resolutions 1/6 (2014) and 2/11 (2016)

Combating marine plastic litter and microplastics: An assessment of the effectiveness of relevant international, regional and subregional governance strategies and approaches presented to UNEA-3, Dec. 2017

• Advisory Group: science, policy and legal experts

• instruments that prevent pollution, protect biodiversity, or regulate manufacture, use and disposal

• measures of implementation

• gaps and trends

+ draft UNEA-3 resolution

Global and regional governance framework

Global

• hard law with relevant provisions, limited remit / narrow application

• soft law more specific, but limited regulatory power

Regional

• hard law: regional seas conventions and protocols

• soft law: regional action plans

• not uniform upstream mandate

• greater priority to waste management in soft than in binding instruments

East Asian Seas

Globally significant source of marine litter, high vulnerability

COBSEA Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter 2008: Cambodia, China,

Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Revision underway, based on regional assessment

Development of regional initiative for implementation of the action plan, working

across sectors, focus on the plastic value chain (session tomorrow)

Marine litter included in ASEAN-UN Workplan

COBSEA COORDINATING BODY ON

THE SEAS OF EAST ASIA

Some key gaps…

Current governance strategies and instruments provide a fragmented approach

that does not adequately address marine litter and microplastics

No international body with mandate to regulate land-based marine pollution

No global agreement specific to prevention of marine plastic litter and

microplastics, and providing for a comprehensive lifecycle approach

The regional framework has similar gaps

SDG 6.3: halve proportion of untreated wastewater

SDG 11.6: reduce the adverse environmental impact of

cities, paying special attention to municipal and other

waste management

SDG 12.4: environmentally sound management of all

wastes throughout their life cycles

SDG 12.5: reduce waste generation through prevention,

reduction, recycling and reuse

SDG 14.1: prevent and significantly reduce marine

pollution, in particular from land, including marine debris

SDG 14.2: sustainably manage and protect marine and

coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts

Ocean Conference 2017: Call for Action

Maintain Status Quo

• Strengthen implementation of existing instruments

• Continue current efforts

Revise and Strengthen existing framework

• Bring industry into the solution

• Expand the mandate of an existing international body to include the coordination of existing institutions

• Strengthen existing measures

• Revise existing instruments such as the Honolulu Strategy

• Adopt a voluntary agreement on marine plastic litter

New global architecture with multilayered governance approach

• Establish a new international legally binding architecture.

• Take phased approach:

• Phase I: Develop voluntary measures (same as Option 2)

• Phase II: Develop a binding agreement

Options Identified in the

assessment prepared

in response to UNEA

resolution 2/11,

submitted to UNEA at

its thirds session as

UNEP/EA.3/INF/5

Key messages

Marine litter is a complex problem, but it can be solved

the problem is recognized, we have knowledge, common goals and targets

No single action is sufficient, priority actions are known

production, materials, design, waste generation, management and capture;

regulation, incentives, investment, partnerships, corporate action, research,

awareness, behavioural change…

The regional dimension is important

common and more specific problem identification; greater impact through

coherent strategies, policies and actions; better tracking

UN Environment publications: wedocs.unep.org

GPML / Marine Litter Network: marinelitternetwork.com

Marine Litter Vital Graphics: grida.no/resources/6933

Clean Seas: cleanseas.org

IMDC-6: internationalmarinedebrisconference.org

Marine Litter MOOC: marinelittermooc.org

GPML: Steering Group (SC)

Current members: • US/NOAA (Chair)

• Germany

• Netherlands

• GPA, UN Environment (Land-based litter)

• IMO (Sea-based litter)

• FAO (Sea-based litter / ALDFG)

• GESAMP (The Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects

of Marine Environmental Protection)

• Norway (June 2017)

• Regional nodes