According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), there is a growing threat from marine litter and plastic pollution to all species and ecosystems from source to sea.

Plastics are the largest, most harmful, and most persistent fraction of marine litter, accounting for at least 85 per cent of total marine waste (1). A UK land analysis suggests plastics account for 63 per cent of litter, and of this 50 per cent traces to 10 brands (2).

Ecosystems and wildlife are being destroyed by litter and plastics. The human body is vulnerable on multiple fronts. Plastics are ingested from water sources, through seafood, drinks, and even common salt.  They also penetrate the skin and are inhaled when suspended in the air. Plastics could cause hormonal changes, developmental disorders, reproductive abnormalities, and cancer. 

This underscores the need for urgent, global political will and action to dramatically reduce unnecessary, avoidable, and problematic plastic (3).  

This campaign demands the political will and joined-up and urgent action from all Governments to:

• Prohibit single-use plastics (in line with UN Sustainable development goals/EU directives)
• Implement plastic, glass and can deposit recycling schemes (operating in some form in 40 countries, though not yet in the UK, the majority of US states, France, and others) (4)
• Mandate biodegradeable plastics
• Mandate biodegradeable or reusable sanitary protection (5), wet wipes (6), nappies (7) and cigarette filters/butts (8)
• Teach the ‘litter cycle’ in schools and beyond (9)
• Appoint country litter tsars to prevent littering and preserve ecosystems
• Ban all pollution discharges from water companies
• Make littering culturally and flushing of sanitary protection, plastic wipes, cigarette butts unacceptable: 
• Encourage the public to ‘bag-it and bin-it’ and ‘not to flush-it’
  • Larger fines for litter and stronger monitoring and enforcement
  • Support World Cleanup Day which has now been added to the UN calendar (3rd Saturday in September, in 2024, that's 20th September) (10) and other ‘green and clean’ organisations

References

1. https://www.unep.org/resources/pollution-solution-global-assessment-marine-litter-and-plastic-pollution
2. https://www.lboro.ac.uk/news-events/news/2022/august/study-litter-conversation-tom-stanton/
3. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/comprehensive-assessment-marine-litter-and-plastic-pollution
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Container-deposit_legislation
5. https://edu.rsc.org/feature/single-use-plastic-in-period-products/4013167.article
6. https://www.mcsuk.org/news/our-seas-are-swimming-in-wet-wipes-its-time-to-take-action/
7. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/20/disposable-nappies-plastic-waste-diapers/
8. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0147651319307481
9. https://spidthespider.com/resource-centre/understanding-the-litter-cycle/
10. https://app.timetospare.com/volunteers/world-cleanup-day/