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Dump your rubbish on the beach?
Our oceans and coasts are under considerable threat thanks to those who don't dispose of rubbish in a responsible manner.
The stuff you leave on the beach, in a rush to pack up and get home, can travel long distances with ocean currents. Marine litter is mainly plastics, metal and glass: materials that don't break down easily or quickly. These items don't just pollute the sea, they're also having an increasingly detrimental impact on fishing. For example the North Sea has become a rubbish dump in which 20,000 tonnes of waste is deposited each year.
So what happens the crisp packet you dropped at the water's edge or the beer cans you left lying after last weekend's beach party? Well, about 70% of marine rubbish sinks to the bottom, 15% floats on the surface, and 15% is washed up onto the coasts. So if you're local beach is looking a bit dirty after the summer crowds, just imagine how filthy the bottom of the ocean is.
Everything listed below is responsible for harming and/or killing hundreds of marine mammals around our coastlines each year, and of course, destroying marine and land habitats.
How long does it take rubbish in the sea to disintegrate?
Paper towel: 2-4 weeks
Newspapers: 6 weeks
Apple Core: 8 weeks
Cardboard box: 2 months
Milk carton: 3 months
Cotton gloves: 1-5 months
Natural fibre rope: 3-14 months
Biodegradable nappy: 1 year
Woollen gloves: 1 year
Plywood: 1- 3 years
Painted wooden stick: 13 years
Tin can: 50 years
Styrofoam cup: 50 years
Styrofoam buoy (attached to fishing nets): 80 years
Aluminium can: 400 years
Plastic beverage holder: 400 years
Disposable nappy: 450 years
Plastic bottle: 450 years
Monofilament fishing net: 600 years
Scary isn't it? The next time you are about to drop your litter off a boat or along the beach, decide whether you want a world ruined by non-caring people or a beautiful and unspoilt world for future generations to enjoy.
Please recycle your waste.
By: Jeni Murrin
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