Record breaking sailor, Dame Ellen MacArthur has seen more of the world's oceans than most.
That's why when she comes out with a prediction about the oceans having more plastic in them than fish in less than 40 years time, people take notice.
The Ellen MacArthur foundation published a report at the World Economic Forum last week, argues that every year “at least 8m tonnes of plastics leak into the ocean – which is equivalent to dumping the contents of one garbage truck into the ocean every minute. If no action is taken, this is expected to increase to two per minute by 2030 and four per minute by 2050."
MacArthur, who broke the record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe in 2005, says fundamental reform is needed. She envisions a new plastics economy in which the industry, governments and citizens work together to ensure that plastics never become waste and cut the leakage into natural systems.
One part of the solution is to rethink the way goods are packaged, cutting the demand for plastic. Water-soluble film, for example, could be used to wrap small items. Hard-to-recycle plastics such as PVC could be phased out.
While a solution to the problem would require a radical change in mentality towards the use of plastics across the globe, the grim alternative will hopefully be enough to motivate reform.
Via The Guardian
