Removal of Plastic from Oceans

Plastic pollution in oceans is a major environmental issue. This article explores the sources of plastic waste in oceans, its impact on aquatic life and human health, and the solutions to remove it. It discusses the role of littering, factory waste, and ships in contributing to plastic pollution. The article also highlights the importance of recycling and education programs in reducing plastic waste. However, challenges such as ignorance and lack of alternatives hinder the efforts to combat plastic pollution. The article concludes by suggesting community involvement and improved waste disposal as potential solutions.

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Removal of Plastic from Oceans
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REMOVAL OF PLSTIC WASTE FROM OCEANS
Introduction
Plastic has been termed as a major soil and water pollutant. Plastic pollution is caused by
the accumulation of plastic waste in the environment which may find its way to the sea. Plastic
can be categorized into two; primary plastic such as bottle tops and cigarette butts and secondary
plastics which come from the degradation of the primary ones. Plastics have found their way into
the oceans probing a great threat to aquatic life and the general coastal environment. Therefore,
waterway countries or countries bordering the oceans have been impacted greatly by the plastics
that find their ways into the ocean.
Fact-finding
One of the ways through which plastic gets into the ocean is through the rubbish that is
left by locals and international tourist on the beach. The rubbish such as water bottles and food
containers are swept by the strong ocean tides and wind into the ocean. Some of the plastics are
transported to the landfills and swept away by the wind into the seas (Jambeck, et al., 2016, 768).
However, some landfills may be situated around rivers which drain into the ocean. The plastics
may be swept into the rivers and flow up to the ocean. On the other hand, factory waste is
another major source of plastic waste (Cózar, et al., 2104, 10244). Most of the factory waste is
deposited into the rivers. The rivers may find their ways onto the ocean depositing the plastics.
Ships sailing in the ocean are another major source of plastic waste. Sometimes ships go
overboard or lose some of the cargo which makes plastic to find its way in the ocean. Most of the
household around the coastal region deposit litter in the bins instead of taking them to the

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recycling industries (Lamb, et al., 2018, 462). The plastics end up in landfill areas and are blown
away by the wind. This plastic litter may clutter around rivers or drains and eventually end up in
the ocean. There are several methods that have assisted in reducing the plastics in the ocean. One
of the solutions that has been put in place is burning the use of plastic bags. This has helped to
reduce the number of plastics in the ocean (Sigler, 2014, 2184). Recycling the plastics has also
been a solution which has worked effectively to reduce the plastics in the ocean. In addition, the
government implemented an education program that will sensitize the citizens on the effects of
plastics. However, despite all the efforts put in place, the plastics still find their way into the
ocean.
Analysis of the idea
Plastic wastes that are found in the ocean has an immense effect on the health of human
beings. Once the plastics waste finds their way into the ocean, the wastes spread throughout the
ocean. The Styrofoam from the plastics disintegrates into smaller pieces. The polystyrene sinks
dipper into the ocean and spreads throughout the sea column (Li, et al., 2016, 462). The
chemicals from the plastic wastes are then ingested by the animals in the ocean. Some of these
organisms found in the sea are food to humans. The human consumes fish and other eatable
mammals which are contaminated with hazardous chemicals without their knowledge. The
chemical accumulates in their bodies which leads to serious health issues.
Ocean plastic wastes have affected the aquatic creature such as mussels, fish, and
seabirds. The microplastics have been a major threat to larger sea organisms such as whale that
are exposed to microplastic ingestion due to filter feeding. This has caused harm to marine
depending on the digestive system of the sea animals (Dris, et al., 2015, 550). The indigestion of

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plastic has led to a reduced appetite for the sea creatures since plastic reduces the digestions
captivity. On the other hand, they may block the digestive system making the animals strive to
death. Generally, plastic wastes pollution has resulted in other risks such as overfishing, forms of
manmade distraction, and climate change. The plastic waste has led to overfishing due to the
reduced number of fish in the ocean.
Although the government and other stakeholder involved has tried to reduce the effect of
plastic waste in the oceans, there have several hindrances. The first hindrance is the ignorance of
people. Most people are ignorant about the idea of ocean plastic waste and their effects.
Although the government has instilled strict regulations on careless dumping of plastic and any
other wastes, the citizens are still acting against the idea. Another barrier that has hindered the
fight for ocean plastic waste is lack of the best alternative to replace the plastic containers
(Wilcox, Erik and Britta, 2015, 11899). There are some items that can only be best stored in
plastic containers. Therefore, the plastic burn has not effectively worked in some of the countries
bordering the ocean.
Solutions to remove plastic waste in the ocean
Looking at all the methods that the government has used to ensure that the ocean is
plastic free, it is important for individuals to be self-responsible and take care of the
environment. The best way to reduce ocean plastic waste is the involvement of the communities’
surrounding the ocean in clean-up programs. The leaders in that region should employ youths
who are jobless to carry on daily cleaning and restrict all the plastics are beach areas. Moreover,
the community and the leaders should put waste disposal bins quite far from the shores and they
should be built in a way that does not allow litter to be blown by the wind.

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Conclusion
There are several ways that the plastic wastes have found their ways into the ocean which
include littering by people who visit the beach which is swept into the seas by high water tides.
Another way is the wind which blows the light plastic wastes from the landfills to the rivers
which drain into the ocean increasing the level of plastic waste. The plastic waste has led to the
death of aquatic animals and also affected the health of human life after consuming the
contaminated organisms. However, there is a solution that can reduce or curb plastic waste in the
ocean. They include introducing a high technology that can sense any plastic waste available in
the ocean and digging landfills that are a dip.

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Bibliography
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