Marine Litter

What is marine litter?

By United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) definition
Marine litter is any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded,
disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment.
Marine litter consists of items that have been made or used by people and deliberately
discarded into the sea or rivers or on beaches; brought indirectly to the sea with rivers,
sewage, storm water or winds; or accidentally lost, including material lost at sea in bad
weather.
Sources of Marine Litter
Because marine litter comes from sea-based and land-based sources, reduction and
prevention measures must be implemented across a wide range geographic locations
and societal sectors. Additionally, marine litter may originate from a variety of sources;
from waste from landfills on land to galley waste from commercial shipping. However,
the main sources can be grouped as follows:
1.The main sea/ocean-based sources of marine litter
a.Merchant shipping, ferries and cruise liners
b.Fishing vessels
c.Military fleets and research vessels
d.Pleasure craft
e.Offshore oil and gas platforms
f.Fish farming installations
2.The main land-based sources of marine litter
a.Municipal landfills (waste dumps) located on the coast or inland
b.Riverine transport of waste from landfills or other sources along rivers and other
inland waterways (canals)
c.Discharge of untreated municipal sewage, including storm water (including occasional
overflows)
d.Industrial facilities: Solid waste from landfills, and untreated waste water
e.Tourism (recreational visitors to the coast; beach-goers)
Problem of Marine Litter
Marine litter originates from many sources and causes a wide spectrum of
environmental, economic, safety, health and cultural impacts. The very slow rate of
degradation of most marine litter items, mainly plastics, together with the continuously
growing quantity of the litter and debris disposed, is leading to a gradual increase in
marine litter found at sea and on the shores.Marine litter currently poses a growing
threat to the marine and coastal environment. Most marine litter consists of material that
degrades slowly, if at all, so a continuous input of large quantities of these items results
in a gradual build-up in the marine and coastal environment. This negative trend has
been confirmed by a number of studies, clearly indicating that the situation with regard
to marine litter is continuously getting worse. Littering practices from the shipping sector,
as well as lack of land-based infrastructure to receive litter, combined with a lack of
awareness among main stakeholders and the general public, are other major reasons
that the marine litter problem appears to increase worldwide.
Actions and expend issue
A wide range of marine litter-related instruments already exist and actions are being
taken at the global and regional levels.
Deficiencies in the implementation and enforcement of existing international, regional,
national regulations and standards that could improve the situation, combined with a
lack of awareness among main stakeholders and the general public, are other major
reasons why the marine litter problem not only remains, but continues to increase
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worldwide. Furthermore, marine litter is part of the broader problem of waste

management, which is becoming a major public health and environmental concern in
many countries.
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