A sea of plastic: challenges and strategies to curb water pollution

Plastic pollution of water is one of the most pressing environmental problems, as it poses a danger to both ecosystems and our health. It is estimated that around 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans every year, a staggering figure if we consider that it does not take into account the waste accumulated in lakes and rivers (Source: WWF).

This scenario is also reflected in the Mediterranean Sea, where the bordering countries contribute significantly to making this ecosystem one of the most polluted in the world. Marine waste is mainly made up of plastics (75%) (Read also: WWF). According to the report published by the WWF “No Health in a Sick Environment (July 2024), the Mediterranean Sea holds the record for the basin with the “highest concentration of microplastics ever measured in the deep sea: 1.9 million fragments per square metre”.  However, the elements polluting our country's waters are represented not only by small particles, but also by large aggregates, visible even from space. A recent international research, in which CNR-Ismar took part, highlighted through the analysis of 300,000 images collected by the Sentinel-2 satellites of the European Union's Copernicus programme, how in the Mediterranean Sea there are “floating formations, known as windrows, patches, streaks or swaths”. Basically, this is an accumulation of waste “resulting from the convergence of currents on the sea surface”, which highlights the amount of anthropogenic material present in the waters of our sea.

One of the reasons behind the Mediterranean's pollution is the trade in waste and its inadequate management. In fact, since China closed its borders in 2018 ( while it used to receive around 40% of Italian waste), Turkey has become the EU's main destination for waste, which at the same time is also the country most responsible for the contamination of our sea (source: Mediterranean Waste ).

Emblematic is the affair reported by Presa Diretta in its TV special “Mal di Plastica”, where Italy and Turkey are the protagonists, with the former having shipped a large quantity of waste that did not comply with regulations, thus violating the provisions of the Basel Convention. Indeed, the agreement requires member states to manage their waste within their own borders or, if this is not possible, to export waste that is nevertheless recyclable to other nations. In 2022 alone, Italy sent over 18,000 tonnes of plastic waste (Source: Greenpeace). Once in Turkey, however, part of this waste was not treated properly due to the lack of suitable recycling facilities, thus ending up in illegal dumps or directly in the environment, becoming a danger to health and local ecosystems.

In order to combat this problem, the European Union has decided to strengthen the legislation regulating waste trafficking. On 30 April, Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union, which aims to increase controls in order to trace the movement of waste within the EU and prevent environmental damage, including water pollution.

Again with the aim of preserving and, where possible, improving the health of waters, UNESCO also kicked off an interesting initiative in 2017, the so-called Ocean Decade (Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development). This is a 10-year project dedicated to stimulating ocean-related research and the generation and dissemination of knowledge in this field. The Ocean Decade consists of 10 challenges and 7 outcomes whose main aim is to achieve a healthier, more productive and sustainable ocean.  Organised on a global, regional and national scale, it allows for the implementation of different actions, strategies and projects designed for a specific place or problem, improving the effectiveness of the outcome. For the Mediterranean Sea, 56 actions are currently registered that address different issues such as the fight against pollution, the protection and restoration of ecosystems and biodiversity, but also the need for a change in society's behaviour; of these, 6 are the actions that concern our country (For further information:  National Action)

In conclusion, although there are numerous initiatives by institutions and organisations, these appear insufficient compared to the size of the problem, considering that one of the main causes of pollution is the high production of plastic. Furthermore, in an interconnected world such as the one we live in, it is essential to act in a coordinated manner: only a collective effort by the world community will lead to concrete change.

 

 

Angela Pia Zizzamia

Beatrice Fontana

 

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