World Oceans Day offers a reminder about the plastic problem

The Ocean Cleanup continues efforts to rid the ocean of plastic.

Discarded plastic that winds up in oceans traps marine animals, pollutes waters, breaks down into microplastics and can end up on the dinner plates of seafood lovers. 

Maybe you heard the World Economic Forum’s dire prediction: There will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight by 2050. But one Netherlands-based nonprofit is working to “turn off the tap” by intercepting river plastic before it reaches the ocean and clean up 90% of floating plastic in the oceans by 2040.

The Ocean Cleanup...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/world-oceans-day-offers-a-reminder-about-the-plastic-problem

Photos: Plastic Waste From Blazing Cargo Ship Wash Up On Sri Lankan Coast

X-Press-Pearl--plastic-pellets

The Sri Lankan authorities dealing with the X-Press Pearl ship fire have found themselves in a new problem as plastic wastes from the ship are polluting the ocean. On Friday, officials found tons of plastic pellets have washed up the west coast of Sri Lanka as the ship blazes for the 9th consecutive day.

This has prompted a fishing ban in the area stretching 80kms of the coast including Colombo. The government has been expecting an oil spill and chemical spill from the nitric acid cargo-carrying...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/photos-plastic-waste-from-blazing-cargo-ship-wash-up-on-sri-lankan-coast/

NYK Achieves Samples At 100 Locations In World’s First Large-Scale Survey Of Microplastics

plastic ocean

NYK achieved 100 samples at 100 locations in survey of microplastics collections over a wide range of the ocean which they have been conducting since 2020.

The samples collected will be analyzed in the laboratory of the Chiba Institute of Technology (CIT) to help study the composition and concentration of microplastics floating in oceans around the world.

1. Background

On March 2020, NYK signed a memorandum of understanding with the CIT to use a ship to collect and analyze microplastics in oceans...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/nyk-achieves-samples-at-100-locations-in-worlds-first-large-scale-survey-of-microplastics/

ReSea Project Certified To DNV GL’s Reclaimed Plastic Traceability Standard

ReSea Project - Yellow Lids

ReSea Project is a Danish company cleaning rivers and oceans in Indonesia. It is the second organization in the world to be certified to DNV GL’s Chain of Custody standard built to assure the traceability and integrity of plastic recovered from the hydrosphere.

ReSea Project is a community-driven solution to remove plastic from oceans and rivers. The certification covers their traceability system for the collection process in Indonesia. The cleanup solution is community-driven, meaning that...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/resea-project-certified-to-dnv-gls-reclaimed-plastic-traceability-standard/

MOL & Miura Test Microplastic Collection Device Installed On Newbuilding Wood Chip Carrier

MOL Receives Delivery Of Wood Chip Carrier SOUTHERN TREASURE

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and Miura Co., Ltd. announced a demonstration test of their jointly developed microplastic (*1) collection device, installed on a newbuilding wood chip carrier, which was conducted on October 27.

The microplastic collection device is activated during the operation of the ballast water treatment system, with the assumption that the collection takes place during cargo handling operations. Using a filter with a backwashing function, which constitutes the ballast...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/mol-miura-test-microplastic-collection-device-installed-on-newbuilding-wood-chip-carrier/

KCS, NS and CN sign onto campaign to prevent plastic pellet spills

A photograph of a Norfolk Southern locomotive and another freight train locomotive parked at a rail yard.

Freight railroads and the plastics industry have started to work together to address a side effect of North America’s booming plastics production: the dispersion of wayward plastic pellets in transit.

Plastic pellets, or resin pellets, are a feedstock used in plastics production. They can look like small round orbs or balls. But because of their size, they can easily disperse during transport. Environmental groups have said that following a storm, these pellets, which are also called nurdles,...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/kcs-ns-and-cn-sign-onto-campaign-to-prevent-plastic-pellet-spills

DNV GL Releases First Ever Traceability Standard For Reclaimed Plastic From Hydrosphere

The Ocean Cleanup

The public DNV GL standard provides a best practice to verify the authenticity (Chain of Custody) of abandoned ocean and river plastic and build consumer trust in new products made from reclaimed plastic.

The problem of ocean plastic garbage is massive and to solve it requires ground-breaking technology and significant resources. Moreover, extracting the plastic from oceans and rivers is only the first step in addressing one of the biggest threats to our world’s waters. There are currently...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/dnv-gl-releases-first-ever-traceability-standard-for-reclaimed-plastic-from-hydrosphere/

Frankenstein Microplastics Engulfing the Planet As We Struggle To Detect Them!

A pair of hands holding microplastics collected at the beach.
  • Microplastic detection is the primary hurdle towards a plastic-free world.
  • Plastic doesn’t contain life-related structures making them impossible to detect by modern molecular biology methods.
  • This Frankenstein plastic monster engulfing the planet needs a standard economical method of detection.
  • Laser and other such techniques are proving quite expensive
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration made a standard step-by step protocol of plastic detection involving filtering, microscopic...

http://mfame.guru/frankenstein-microplastics-engulfing-the-planet-as-we-struggle-to-detect-them/

Clean Oceans Initiative Reaches A Third Of Its 5-Year-Target In The First Year Itself

plastic ocean

At the IMF/World Bank Group meetings, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and KfW Group on behalf of the German Federal Government reported progress on the Clean Oceans Initiative. The partners welcome ICO’s (Spanish Promotional Bank) commitment to join the initiative.

After its first year of operation, the Clean Oceans Initiative has provided more than EUR 700 million long-term financing for projects to reduce and recycle marine litter and waste...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/clean-oceans-initiative-reaches-a-third-of-its-5-year-target-in-the-first-year-itself/

Nordic Countries Call For Global Treaty On Ocean Plastic Pollution

turtle_platsic

In a major step forward in the fight against marine plastic pollution, Nordic governments have become the first in the world to formally call for a global treaty to tackle the plastic crisis in our oceans. In a major step forward in the fight against marine plastic pollution, Nordic governments have become the first in the world to formally call for a global treaty to tackle the plastic crisis in our oceans. The landmark declaration was made today at a gathering of the environment ministers of...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/nordic-countries-call-for-global-treaty-on-ocean-plastic-pollution/