Timelines - Plastics Longevity

Charles Moore says "Plastics, like diamonds, are forever". For a good introduction, read the "Why is plastic in the ocean a problem" section from his Algalita brochure.

Here are several overview timelines, showing how long different materials will last in a marine environment. You might be surprised - plywood lasts a few years, but a plastic 'disposable' diaper or a plastic water bottle last four to five hundred years.

The Texas 'Adopt A Beach' program created this visually dynamic timeline, illustrating how long it can take commonly used items to dissolve back into nature.

Here are some more tabular versions of similar information:

• This simple page shows how long some common things will stay in the ocean - from the Los Angeles, California stormwater program.
  
• And here's a more complete list - from the Long Beach Peninsula visitors bureau in Washington State.
• A similar Marine Debris Timeline - from the United States Environmental Protection Agency - Gulf of Mexico Program.
  

This timeline comes from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 15 islands about 3/4 of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines.

 
Here's another pictorial view
that you can download from the Irish Sea Fisheries Board

Slideshow - Plastics in the (Ocean) Environment

This 12 page 'slideshow' provides a wonderful introduction to the issues of plastic marine debris:

• Plastics Debris Washed Ashore
• Plastic Debris on the Move
• North Pacific Gyre Study Site
• Plastic Deburs in the Ocean Water Column
• Sources of Pollution in our watershed
• Nurdles
• Chemical Pollutants from Plastic
• Pollutants from Plastic Incineration
• Peril of the Albatross
• Plastic Debris Pollutes the Food Chain
• Stopping Pollution in our Watershed
• Changing How We Think About Plastic

Source: Algalita Marine Research Foundation

FAQ - Pacific Gyre and Plastic Pollution

This set of frequently asked questions and answers will give you a jump-start to your understanding of the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch", and many related issues of plastic pollution.

Source: Algalita Marine Research Foundation

UNEP - Marine Litter Publications

The United Nations Environment Programme has several comprehensive publications available for download (in pdf):

• Marine Litter: A Global Challendge (2009)
• Guidlelines on Survey and Monitoring of Marine Litter(2009)
• Guidelines on the Use of Market-based Instruments to address the Problem of Marine Litter (2009)
• Abandoned, Lost or Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (2009)
• Marine Litter - An analytical overview (2005)
• Marine Litter - Trash that kills (a 20 page 'brochure')

Source: United Nations - Environment Programme - Marine Litter

Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program

Watch these videos about the recovery and recycling of monofilament fishing line.

• what is monofilament recycling
• how to build a monofilament recycling bin

Source: Boat U.S - Reel In and Recycle

Brochure - Used Fishing Line

DID YOU KNOW…?

• Monofilament fishing line lasts about 600 years in the marine environment
• Discarded monofilament line can injure divers and boaters, foul boat propellers, entangle and poison wildlife, and threaten the health of fisheries
  
• It can be recycled
  

Find out more in this brochure

Source: Sea Grant and Univ of Florida Extension

Video - The NOAA Marine Debris Program

This five minute video provides an overview of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, with special focus on retrieval of "monster debris"

Source: NOAA - Marine Debris Program

Music Video - Marine Debris

No words - just enjoy the music and pictures

Source: NOAA - Marine Debris Program

Video - Marine Debris

What is marine debris - where does it come from - what does it damage - what can you do to minimize it?

Get a quick overview in this 3 minute video from NOAA.




Source: NOAA - Ocean Media Center

Video - Sylvia Earle at TED

Several of our fellow volunteers were privileged to hear Sylvia Earle at a COSEE gathering for Puget Sound Volunteers in 2007.

You can hear her here, giving a presentation at TED in 2009.

Note: We have Sylvia to thank for Google Earth's wonderful new ocean features. While accepting an award in Madrid in 2006, along with a Google Earth's John Hankes, Sylvia told him

My children, my grandchildren think it is great to see their backyard, fly through the Grand Canyon, visit other countries .

But, John, when are you going to finish it?
You should call Google Earth 'Google Dirt'.
What about the three-quarters of the planet that is blue?

Timelines - Plastics History

Plastics are invented things - they did not exist several hundred years ago. Follow any of the links before to learn more about the inventions of plastics over time.

• about.com - The History of Plastics
• americanchemistory.com - the history of plastic
• plasticsindustry.org - History of Plastics- narrative history - with focus on United States
• plasticstech.info - The Plastic Timeline & History- starts 1000BC with use of resins in China.
  
• plastipedia.co.uk - A History of Plastics - includes a short (5 minutes) video, and poster-style images by time period. (from the British Plastics Federation)
• plastiquarian.com - People and Polymers - click on the little gold buttons for more information
• plastiquarian.com - Timeline
• polymerplastics.com - History of Plastics

See also:

• Timelines - Plastics Longevity to find how how many hundreds of years a given piece of plastic debris will continue to exist in the ocean.

Games and Activities - Understanding Marine Debris

Please download

Understanding Marine Debris:
Games and Activities for Kids of All Ages

for more than 20 fun pages of puzzles and activities of all kinds. You'll be glad you did!

Source: NOAA - Marine Debris Program

Resources - Marine Debris 101 (NOAA)

NOAA has provided a wealth of materials to learn more about marine debris, including

• Brochures,
• Fact Sheets,
• Posters/Placards,
• Guidebooks

Interested in helping - read What YOU Can Do !!

Interested in diving deeper? Check their Publications and References

Source: NOAA - Marine Debris Program

FAQ - Great Pacific Garbage Patch

See this NOAA map of, and some common questions about, the "Pacific Gyre" and the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch"

When you get there, click on some of the links on the right side of the page for lots more valuable information.

Source: NOAA - Marine Debris Program

Marine Debris - Learn and Help

For over 20 years, the Ocean Conservancy has been organizing the International Coast Cleanup, held the third Saturday of every September.

As they often state:

Trash doesn't fall from the sky,
it falls from our hands.

What can you do:

• Review their 10 things you can do to stop marine debris.
• Read A Rising Tide of Ocean Debris and What We Can Do About It. presenting data recorded by nearly 400,000 volunteers in 104 countries in the September 2008 cleanup.
  
• Read their Pocket Guide to Marine Debris (35 pages)
  

Source: Ocean Conservancy

Report - Growing Global Problem of Marine Litter

UNEP Head Calls for World-Wide Ban on Pointless Thin Film Plastic Bags

Washington DC/Nairobi, 8 June 2009

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director:

Marine litter is symptomatic of a wider malaise: namely the wasteful use and persistent poor management of natural resources. The plastic bags, bottles and other debris piling up in the oceans and seas could be dramatically reduced by improved waste reduction, waste management and recycling initiatives.

Some of the litter, like thin film single use plastic bags which choke marine life, should be banned or phased-out rapidly everywhere-there is simply zero justification for manufacturing them anymore, anywhere. Other waste can be cut by boosting public awareness, and proposing an array of economic incentives and smart market mechanisms that tip the balance in favor of recycling, reducing or re-use rather than dumping into the sea.

You will find the full article here, along with links to other related stories.

Source: United Nations - Environment Programme - Marine Litter