Monterey Regional Waste Management District (MRWMD)

Wastewater treatment plants filter out around 98-99% of the microfibers before running the filtered water out into the ocean. Unfortunately, these plants generally handle such high amounts of water that the 1-2% of microfibers that make it through can still lead to millions of microplastics in the ocean every day.

The investigators found that mollusks (such as clams, mussels, oysters and scallops) had the highest levels. Mollusks collected off the coasts of Asia were the most heavily contaminated with microplastics. The researchers suggested that these areas are more heavily polluted by plastic.

Single-use plastic is a climate change issue as well as an observable, measurable menace to the environment that has only been exacerbated by the pandemic and the need for plastic protective gear. Most plastic is made from fossil fuels, and millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions are released from the extraction of these resources, and the manufacture and incineration of plastic.

All of the Caribbean nations, the Nordic countries and the Pacific Island states have called for a new global agreement. Sixty-eight countries have publicly expressed interest in a plastics treaty, as have a broad coalition of African countries, and the European Union. While the U.S. has been notably silent on the topic, the groundswell of worldwide support is encouraging.

Making your own recycled paper is a fun craft activity, and a way to cut down on your household waste. Check out these simple steps by Earth911.

These new rules send a clear message that in the EU we are taking responsibility for the waste we generate. This is an important milestone in fighting plastic pollution, transitioning to a circular economy, and achieving the aims of the European Green Deal.