micro-plastics

Study: Plastics are being glued together in ocean, could impact food chain

Natural materials excreted by bacteria are gluing micro and nano-plastics together, so that they form larger masses in the world’s oceans, scientists from Heriot-Watt University and Plymouth University have discovered. The findings raise concerns on the impacts for the marine food chains.

The biopolymers are common in freshwater and marine environments, but until now scientists did not know what effects these sticky, glue-like materials had on the nano and microplastics that are now ubiquitous...

https://safety4sea.com/study-plastics-are-being-glued-together-in-ocean-could-impact-food-chain/

Embracing sustainability within maritime industry: 10 key practices

Overall, in all business sectors, organizations develop sustainable business aiming at improving their social conscience and environmental responsibility, well beyond the financial. Do you wonder which the key areas of focus are toward an even more sustainable shipping industry in the future?

Lately, the industry has been driven by raised ambitions and accelerated actions with respect to sustainability. More and more shipping companies are moving toward long-term CSR practices; in this context,...

https://safety4sea.com/cm-embracing-sustainability-within-maritime-industry-10-key-practices/

5 reasons why oceans could improve in 2019

During 2018, human impacts and global climate change affected the world’s oceans. What is more, the severity of the plastics problem became more clear, with plastics being found 36,000 feet below sea level. However, despite the alarming situation in our oceans, there are reasons to feel optimistic that this will change.

More than 9 billion tons of plastic have been produced since the 1950s, with 7 billion tons ending as waste, in the form of microplastics. They originate mostly from packages and...

https://safety4sea.com/5-reasons-why-oceans-could-improve-in-2019/

Twelve steps to achieve a circular economy

In order to achieve a transition to a more circular economy and society in general, the Rs help us: Reduce; Reuse; Recycle. However, Ichin Cheng in “Designing for the Circular Economy” says that these are not enough. In fact, twelve Rs are needed to fully achieve a circular society.

The circular economy presents a world in which reuse through repair, reconditioning and refurbishment is the leading social and economic model.

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Currently, human health can be...

https://safety4sea.com/twelve-steps-to-achieve-a-circular-economy/

End section fracture leads Ocean Clean up to return to port

The Ocean Cleanup informed that due to a structural malfunctioning of the cleanup system, it decided to return to port earlier than planned. Namely, an 18-meter end-section had detached from the rest of the system.

On Saturday, December 29th, during an inspection of the cleanup system, Ocean Cleanup’s offshore crew discovered that an 18-meter end-section had detached from the rest of the system. According to Boyan Slat, Founder & CEO of the Ocean Cleanup, probably a material fatigue combined...

https://safety4sea.com/end-section-fracture-leads-ocean-clean-up-to-return-to-port/

Edible bio-plastic packaging aspires to reduce plastic waste

25 years old, Indonesian inventor, David Christian has co-founded a startup company called Evoware that produces eco-friendly alternatives to plastic food packaging made from farmed, edible seaweed.

Evoware developed a brand new plastic sachet and packaging that is eco-friendly, biodegradable or even edible and healthy for the body. The raw material of this new product is seaweed farmed in Indonesia and the whole endeavour also has an impact on the livelihood of the local seaweed farmers.

The new...

https://safety4sea.com/edible-bio-plastic-packaging-aspires-to-reduce-plastic-waste/

UK to reduce bureaucracy in cleaning marine litter

Lately, the UK Government is trying to clean up the seas. As part of this attempt, new proposals were launched on 2 November 2018, to reduce bureaucratic procedures and make it easier for divers to remove litter from the seabed.

Up until now, a marine licence was required for divers who retrieve litter or abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear during the course of a dive.

Now, divers will be excluded from the requirement to have a marine licence, thus facilitating the existing regime and...

https://safety4sea.com/uk-to-reduce-bureaucracy-in-cleaning-marine-litter/

How IMO attempts to address marine plastic litter from ships

IMO has committed to address the problem that plastics are posing to the marine environment, by adopting an action plan to enhance current regulations and establish new supporting measures to limit marine plastic litter from ships.

On 26 October, MEPC adopted the action plan, to contribute to the global solution for preventing marine plastic litter entering the oceans through ship based activities.

Recognizing that more needs to be done to address the environmental and health problems from marine...

https://safety4sea.com/how-imo-attempts-to-address-marine-plastic-litter-from-ships/

90% of table salt include microplastics, study finds

A new study examined sea, rock, and lake salt sold around the world and found microplastics in 90% of the table salt. Namely, out of 39 salt brands tested, 36 included microplastics.

Researchers in South Korea and Greenpeace East Asia conducted the study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, used previous salt studies, to look at the spread of microplastics in table salt and how they correlate with where plastic pollution is found in the environment.

They found that human...

https://safety4sea.com/90-of-table-salt-include-microplastics-study-finds/

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