EU-India-TTC-WG2 IdeathonInnovate to combat marine plastic litter

An estimated 11 million metric tons of plastic enter the oceans every year, a number projected to nearly triple by 2040 without significant intervention. Microplastics, which are harder to track, account for a significant portion of this pollution, with over 14 million metric tons already estimated to be on the ocean floor. Marine plastic pollution is difficult to manage without accurate data. Tracking the sources, distribution, and movement of plastic waste in oceans is crucial for developing targeted interventions. However, traditional methods are often limited by their scope, accuracy, or timeliness. Limited data on where plastics are accumulating or how they move through ecosystems hampers effective cleanup and prevention efforts. Therefore, it is important to find approaches supporting more accurate monitoring and tracking measures, including along river networks and estuarine zones that serve as conduits of plastic into the sea. Integrated tracking across riverine-to-marine systems will support more comprehensive interventions.

Once plastic waste enters marine environments, it becomes difficult and expensive to remove. It is estimated that the removal of ocean plastics costs between $3,975 and $39,753 per ton including external costs associated with ecosystem service damage, such as tourism losses and fisheries impacts. With plastic waste accumulating in marine environments over decades, there are visible existing waste patches such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which spans an estimated 1.6 million square kilometers and contains 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic . Plastics can persist for decades, causing harm to wildlife, ecosystems, and economies reliant on clean marine environments. Effective solutions are needed to recover and remove plastics from these environments, including interventions upstream in rivers and tributaries, where interception is often more feasible and cost-effective than ocean-based collection alone.

Raising awareness of marine plastic pollution can drive individual and collective action. However, despite the growing visibility of this issue, around 40% of the world’s population still lacks access to adequate waste management systems, contributing to the leakage of plastic into marine environments. Therefore, many people and communities remain unaware of the scale of the problem or how they can contribute to its resolution. Education and behavioural change campaigns and other initiatives are critical to amplifying local and global impact. Special emphasis should be placed on riverine communities, industries along rivers, and local bodies managing upstream catchments to build awareness before plastics reach the sea.