Marine litter in the sea | Umweltbundesamt

The problem:

Plastic pellets and products are a source of pollution throughout their lifecycle as they leak into the environment, release harmful chemicals and emit greenhouse gases. Marine litter consists mainly of plastics and poses a serious threat to organisms and habitats. In particular, entanglement and strangulation in pieces of litter as well as the ingestion litter particles, including microplastics (plastic particles smaller than five millimetres), can cause lasting damage to marine life, including death. During decomposition, plastics also release toxic and hormonally active additives, such as plasticisers or flame retardants, into the oceans or the organism that absorbs them. The associated effects on human health are inconclusive. Seafood and fish are frequently eaten with the gastrointestinal tract, which may be contaminated. Studies have shown that small particles in particular can damage cells and tissue. There is also growing suspicion that such residue increases the risk of lung and bowel cancer.

Marine litter also inflicts heavy financial costs. For example, local authorities have to carry out regular beach clean-ups. However, litter also contaminates fish catches and jeopardises navigational safety at sea, for example when ship propellers become entangled in net debris.

How does litter end up in the North and Baltic Seas?

Some of the litter in the oceans comes from sea-based sources such as shipping, fishing or the offshore industry. Litter that is carelessly left on beaches also often ends up in the sea. Waste from cities, for example, can be carried by wind and rain into streams and rivers all the way to the sea. This happens frequently in regions of the world that do not yet have a regulated waste disposal system and rely instead open landfill sites. Precipitation is discharged untreated into the oceans and with it, for example, waste from roadside ditches or abrasion from car tyres. Microplastics, which enter household wastewater from daily washing of cosmetics and textiles, cannot be completely filtered out in sewage treatment plants.

What can be done?

Over the last ten years, awareness of the threat posed by marine litter has increased. The ‘Marine Litter Round Table’, which was founded in 2016 under the auspices of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Lower Saxony's Ministry for the Environment and the UBA, provides an opportunity to bring together industry, research, environmental organisations and politicians at a national level to come up with solutions. Each and every one of us can help by avoiding single-use plastics such as cutlery, straws, cups, bags and bottles. Disposing of waste like cigarette butts in a rubbish bin instead of on the street or in nature would also help protect our oceans. More information (in German only) can be found at Abfällen im Meer and Webseite des Runden Tischs Meeresmüll.