Garbage at the Sao Conrado Beach in Rio de Janeirohighlights plastic pollution across the globe
Garbage at the Sao Conrado Beach in Rio de Janeirohighlights plastic pollution across the globe
Disposable plastic is wreaking havoc to the environment. They damage nature’s beautiful assets and beaches are no exception to it. This was witnessed on a Brazilian beach recently.
This comes in the backdrop of reports that the Brazilian government led by President Bolsanaro has a poor record of environment protection. The government statistics showed that deforestation was at a 12-year high in November 2020.
A local NGO released a video of waves of plastic waste lapping against the Sao Conrado Beach in the south zone of the south-eastern Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.
The scene was video graphed on the afternoon of Jan 2 after heavy rains lashed the city.
The garbage contained numerous bottles, bottle caps, plastic bags, a football, and even a doll’s head.
The authorities removed most of the rubbish from the beach on the morning of Jan 3. The beach looks now clean again.
The local NGO Instituto Mar Urbano posted the footage on social media on Jan 3.
The NGO wrote, “Today, at the Sao Conrado Beach, it was possible to observe a small part of what happens around the world.
“Around 325,000 tonnes (358,251 tons) of plastic reach Brazilian waters every year.
“According to the report ‘Um Oceano Livre de Plastico’ (‘A Plastic-Free Ocean’), 80 percent of the rubbish that reaches the ocean originates on land.
“According to this report, the main sources of plastic waste that end up in the sea in Brazil are 1. Rubbish discarded in the street, on beaches and roads, which reaches the drainage and sewage system and then the sea. 2. Rubbish disposed of directly in rivers and streams. 3. Wind and rain taking plastic waste from tips to streams and rivers. 4. Industrial products improperly disposed of or lost during transportation.
“Want to see signs of this growing plastic pollution for yourself? Walk along the beach after a heavy downpour in a big city like Rio de Janeiro.”
The NGO added, “Reduce your consumption of disposable plastics!”
Highlighting the plastic pollution across the world, its causes and methods to tackle the menace, ourworldindata.org has published a report titled ‘Plastic Pollution’ by Hanna Ritchie and Max Roser in 2018.
Among the findings of the report are — Plastic pollution adversely impacts oceans and wildlife health and more plastic waste is produced by high-income countries per person.
The report, however, states that “it is the management of plastic waste that determines the risk of plastic entering the ocean. High-income countries have very effective waste management systems; mismanaged waste, and plastic that ends up in the oceans is therefore very rare. Poor waste management across many middle- and low-income countries means that these are the main sources of global ocean plastic pollution.”
Marin sources are responsible for around 20 percent of plastic waste in the oceans. This type of pollution is dominant in some regions. Over 50 percent of plastic waste in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) comprises fishing nets, ropes and lines, says the report.
Finally, the report lists advantages of plastic as it is cheap, lightweight, versatile, and resistant. Moreover, it has environmental advantages also. For example, it maintains food quality, safety. It also reduces food waste.
The report concludes with a warning, “The trade-offs between plastics and substitutes (or complete bans) are therefore complex and could create negative knock-on impacts on the environment.”
(Edited by Shirish Vishnu Shinde and Megha Virendra Choudhary)
