Marine litter is a global emergency

Prevent marine plastic litter - now!

The case for marine litter is already well made, as it is for a circular economy. Many initiatives, from local to global, are gaining momentum. Our report casts new light on these issues, outlining how sound waste and resources management around the World, and in particular in the Global South, can make a major difference in mitigating marine litter, achieving tangible effects within the near, rather than distant, future – hence, our focus on “Now!”

Learn more about the report

Our oceans are filled with plastic

The devastating story of the current state of our oceans polluted by tonnes of plastic debris.

ISWA Task Force on Marine Litter

Our aim is to explore and clearly establish the link between sound waste management and the prevention of plastic waste reaching our oceans.

ABOUT US

Objectives

The key objectives of the ISWA Marine Task Force initiative explained.

The extent of marine litter is now global, with plastic particles having been detected in all of the world’s oceans - even the most remote and untouched environments. And it has entered the food chain.

It is estimated that 3 billion people globally do not have access to environmentally sound treatment or disposal facilities for their waste.

Plastic debris represents 50 to 80% of shoreline debris and plastic items are commonly recorded as some of the most common items collected during beach surveys and clean-up efforts.

According to Ocean Conservancy, (2012), an estimated 0.5 to 5.9 million tonnes of plastics enters the oceans from sea-based sources every year.

It is estimated that in low income countries, for every metric tonne of uncollected waste near waterways, almost 18 kilograms of plastic enters the ocean - equivalent to more than 1,500 PET bottles.

It is estimated that between 1.2 and 2.4 million tonnes of plastic litter currently flows from the world’s rivers into the oceans every year.

Press Releases 06/20/2019
Press Release: ISWA launches Innovative Calculator to Manage Marine Litter
ISWA's Task Force on Marine Litter have been testing a ground-breaking calculator in Bali, where residents, tourists and organisations…
12/13/2018
Costas Velis, Chair of ISWA Task Force on Marine Litter, Speaks About Plastic Pollution on a BBC World Service Podcast
The episode of the BBC World Service Discovery podcast series titled ' Plastic Fantastic - The China Syndrome' investigates the current…
Research 09/27/2018
Close Dumpsites to Mitigate Marine Litter!
Ms Gunilla Carlsson, Communication Co-ordinator at ISWA Task Force on Marine Litter, writes a blog about the next steps for ISWA Task…
08/20/2018
Dr Costas Velis Joins the Discussion Panel "Norwegian Solutions in a Sea of Plastic" at the Arendalsuka 2018
Dr Costas Velis joined the discussion panel on stage of the annual event organised by Arendalsuka, an independent initiative launched to…
06/11/2018
Preventing Marine Litter: Global Priorities Webinar - Recording Available
Last month Dr Costas Velis, the Chair of the ISWA Task Force on Marine Litter, presented at the webinar created under ISWA and ne Waste…
06/01/2018
Dr Costas Velis presenting at Society for the Environment Annual Awards and Lectures on World Environment Day
Dr Velis will be discussing the ISWA Marine Litter Task Force work on plastic marine litter and beyond, a topic aligned with the World…
Press Releases 05/29/2018
Single-use Plastics: New EU Rules to Reduce Marine Litter
With the amount of harmful plastic litter in oceans and seas growing ever greater, the European Commission is proposing new EU-wide…
05/08/2018
Webinar: Preventing Marine Litter - Global Priorities / May 9, 2018 @ 2:30 pm – 3:15 pm UTC
Costas Velis, the Chair of the ISWA Task Force on Marine Litter, will talk about the topical Marine Litter issue, and our global…
Films 04/05/2018
Dr Costas Velis featured in a ZDF documentary about plastic waste
Dr Costas Velis, Chair of ISWA Marine Task Force, was invited last year to contribute to a documentary realised by the German network…
03/26/2018
ISWA Marine Task Force Report Now Available in Portuguese
The ground-breaking report on preventing marine litter published by ISWA Marine Task Force last year has been translated to Portuguese…
Press Releases 03/21/2018
ISWA Announces Cooperation with Brazilian Municipality to Beat Marine Litter
Santos will be the first city in South America to participate in an international initiative for the development of waste management…
Films 02/15/2018
Dr Costas Velis, Chair of ISWA Task Force on Marine Litter, speaks at Development Finance Forum 2017
The Development Finance Forum is the annual flagship event of KfW Development Bank, which each year deals with a current and pressing…
Press Releases 09/27/2017
Press Release: Upstream solutions for ocean pollution
New report details the importance of capturing litter upstream before it becomes unmanageable ocean pollution.
The International Solid…
Press Releases 06/08/2017
Press Release: On World Ocean Day 2017, ISWA Announces a New Marine Litter Task Force
Today is #WorldOceanDay and ISWA is delighted to announce its intention to play a major role in the urgent microplastic emergency…
Films 06/07/2017
Marine Litter is a change driver for the technology of plastics
Marine litter is not just an environmental problem and an economic burden - it is also a change driver, especially for the technology of…
Films 06/02/2017
Waste management and the Sustainable Development goals
In 2017 ISWA produced a film about it's engagement to the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development goals.
In 2016 ISWA made an…
Conferences 06/02/2017
ISWA present at the Ocean Conference in New York
The high-level United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use…

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ISWA Launches Innovative Marine Litter Calculator