Fighting Plastic Pollution one cleanup event at a time - Goals 14 and 11

Meet Environmental Science and Geography student Ruth, who shares with us her story about recently organising a beach clean up event at Broughty Ferry beach in Dundee (Scotland) and the impact that plastic pollution can have on our coasts. Her initiative is linked to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 14, Life Below Water and number 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities.

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I’m Ruth and I’m from Dublin, Ireland. As part of my dissertation I was looking at marine litter in the Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary. Similar work had been done in the Firth of Forth but not so much in the area around Dundee.

One of the things that surprised me most, was the presence of plastic pellets (nurdles) on St Andrew’s West Sands beach. These are the raw plastic pellets which are used to manufacture other plastics. Once they’re in the environment they can be easily identified as food by birds and other creatures. The problem is, it’s very difficult to stop them from getting into the environment in the first place, due to their tiny size (<5mm). Once they’ve been spilt on the ground, they will find their way down drains, into river systems, and eventually end up in the sea.

Nurdles are small plastic pellets used to make plastic products and many end up washed up on our shores. Pictured, nurdles are seen in St. Andrews beach.

Most marine litter comes from land. Everything that’s dropped on the street, or that blows out of a bin, will sooner or later end up in the sea. Once it is in the sea, it’s very difficult to take it out again. This is in part because plastics break down into smaller and smaller pieces – firstly into microplastics and then into nanoplastics. This realisation is fairly new, and we still don’t know that much about the processes that cause plastics to break down, nor about the implications this has on our environment and indeed on human health.

When it comes to our health, the effects can be very severe – nanoplastics have been shown to be able to cross the blood-brain barrier, resulting in behavioural change. Plastic particles accumulate chemicals known as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), such as PCBs. These become increasingly concentrated and can cause cancer, as well as affecting the reproductive system. They also accumulate in the fat in breast milk, meaning they’re passed onto the next generation in high concentrations at a time when the young are still developing.

One other thing that really hit me once I started looking is the prevalence of plastic. Plastic really is EVERYWHERE. Clothes that are made of manmade fibres like polyester are essentially made of plastic. These release microfibres when washed, which go through the wastewater treatment system into the sea. In the supermarket, virtually everything is wrapped in plastic of some sort. Even metal cans have a plastic lining inside them. Sanitary items for women are mostly made of plastic – during my research work for my dissertation I was shocked at the number of sanitary towels and wet wipes present at Tentsmuir Nature Reserve. These should not be flushed down the toilet, even if labelled as ‘flushable’!

Pictured, Carnoustie beach in Scotland.

Since I was just looking at litter on beaches during my dissertation work, I wanted to do something to actually make a difference and to give something positive back to Scotland. I decided to organise a Beach Clean event at Broughty Ferry beach. Dundee City Council kindly supplied me with litter-picks and so on. I publicised the event through social media and by putting up posters around the area.

On the day there were a little over 20 people. There was a real variety of people – not just students, but also families with young children and dog walkers. There was a mixture of locals and internationals. It was lovely to have such a mix which represented the community. Gregg’s bakery also sponsored the event, supplying free doughnuts, which is always a plus! I think the value of beach cleans should not be underestimated, the beach is the last place where rubbish can be removed before it goes into the sea. Also, much degradation of plastic occurs on the beach. Furthermore, beach cleans promote a sense of community and it’s great to get out and enjoy the nature we have on our doorstep in Dundee.

On the day of the cleanup, students, families and locals got together to pick up waste. Gregg's bakery supplied free donuts for those that took part.

The majority of marine litter contains plastic, and that is likely to increase. Since the 1960s, plastic production has increased twentyfold. Inevitably, much of this plastic ends up in sea. As it is so difficult to remove it once it’s in the environment, it seems to me that the only solution is to stop using so much plastic. Recently in the UK there’s been a movement towards reducing Single-use plastics such as plastic straws, which is great. Plastics have their uses in society, particularly in areas like medicine. However, in my opinion they’re not such a suitable material for items with a shorter consumer life, such as crisp packets, which cannot be recycled as they’re made of mixed materials. We buy a bag of crisps for 60p, use it for 2 minutes, yet it exists for far longer than we will as it will never degrade completely.. seems a bit crazy!

My tips to reduce our plastic usage would be to consume more consciously and try to make rational and informed decisions about what we buy. Plan ahead, carry a reusable cup, don’t buy things you don’t really need, as the full environmental costs are rarely incorporated in the price you pay. It’s not just the environment which is at risk, but the future of the human race.

1) Avoid buying plastics where possible – in Tesco you can buy nearly all fruit and vegetables without plastic wrapping. ‘Sea no waste’ is a zero-waste shop in Arbroath which supports a zero-waste lifestyle and offers a range of products from grains and spices to toiletries. Definitely worth a visit!

2) Wear natural fibres such as wool and cotton rather than manmade fibres.

3) For women, consider switching to a menstrual cup or to washable towels rather than using plastic-based towels and tampons.