PLA-NET – a platform about plastics in freshwater and coastal environments to boost information exchange between various global regions.
Citation:
Walker, T.R., 2018. Drowning in debris: Solutions for a global pervasive marine pollution problem. Marine Pollution Bulletin 126(1): 338. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.11.039.
Link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X17309967
Keywords:
Single-use plastics, Zero plastic waste, Circular economy, Bans
Citation:
Walker, T.R., Xanthos, D., 2018. A call for Canada to move toward zero plastic waste by reducing and recycling single-use plastics. Resources, Conservation & Recycling 133: 99-100. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2018.02.014.
Link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344918300612
Abstract:
CE has benefitted the global economy for years, including China. For example, developed countries benefitted from cost savings associated with exporting waste to China where there were less stringent Chinese environmental laws, but developed countries failed to incorporate true environmental costs. China also benefitted by importing recyclable waste to supplement its domestic manufacturing industries, yet imported plastic waste was considered inferior, and often unusable (i.e., generating more waste), compared to domestic waste by China’s manufacturing industries. In future, the key will be to establish fair-trading systems for waste reutilization across countries globally to reduce waste generation. Firstly, we argue that to reduce waste generation in developed countries, reduced consumption is imperative, since current per capita waste generation in developed countries is much higher than in developing countries. Developed countries, like Canada, need to adopt zero plastic waste strategies by reducing and recycling single-use plastics (Walker and Xanthos, 2018). Secondly, developed countries need to help developing countries deal with their environmental issues, caused by waste reutilization, by transferring waste management and recycling technologies, investing in R&D and training local employees to mitigate potential environmental risks. Thirdly, from a global perspective, implementing extended producer responsibility (EPR) systems across developed and developing countries to help reshape and rebalance the global CE should be undertaken.
Keywords:
Circular economy (CE), Solid waste management, Waste recycling, Waste reutilization, Extended producer responsibility (EPR)
Citation:
Liu, Z., Adams, M., Walker, T.R., 2018. Are exports of recyclables from developed to developing countries waste pollution transfer or part of the global circular economy? Resources, Conservation and Recycling 136: 22-23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2018.04.005.
Link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344918301368
Abstract:
Single-use plastics, or SUPs (plastic bags, microbeads, cutlery, straws and polystyrene) are substantial sources of plastic marine pollution, yet preventable via legislative and non-legislative interventions. Various international legislative strategies have been reported to address plastic marine pollution from plastic bags and microbeads, but these have since been accompanied by recent increasing public awareness triggered by international agencies and organizations. The Sixth International Marine Debris Conference highlighted increasing intervention strategies to mitigate SUP pollution. This study presents new multi-jurisdictional legislative interventions to reduce SUPs since 2017 and incorporates emergence of new non-legislative interventions to mitigate other types of SUPs at individual and private-sector levels that complement or influence legislative interventions. Further, effectiveness of SUP bag interventions (e.g., bans vs. levies) to help reduce SUP marine pollution are presented and range between 33 and 96% reduction in bag use.
Keywords:
Plastic marine pollution, Single-use plastics (SUPs), Polystyrene, Plastic straws, Plastic cutlery, Legislative and non-legislative interventions
Citation:
Schnurr, R.E.J., Alboiu, V., Chaudhary, M., Corbett, R.A., Quanz, M.E., Sankar, K., Srain, H.S., Thavarajah, V., Xanthos, D., Walker, T.R., 2018. Reducing marine pollution from single-use plastics (SUPs): A review. Marine Pollution Bulletin 137: 157-171. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.10.001.
Link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X18307033
Abstract:
The presence and accumulation of plastic and microplastic (MP) debris in the natural environment is of increasing concern and has become the focus of attention for many researchers. Plastic debris is a prolific, long-lived pollutant that is highly resistant to environmental degradation, readily adheres hydrophobic persistent organic pollutants and is linked to morbidity and mortality in numerous aquatic organisms. The prevalence of MPs within the natural environment is a symptom of continuous and rapid growth in synthetic plastic production and mismanagement of plastic waste. Many terrestrial and marine-based processes, including domestic and industrial drainage, maritime activities agricultural runoff and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) effluent, contribute to MP pollution in aquatic environments. MPs have been identified in food consumed by human and in air samples, and exposure to MPs via ingestion or inhalation could lead to adverse human health effects. Regulations in many countries have already been established or will soon be implemented to reduce MPs in aquatic environments. This review focuses on the occurrence, sources, and transport of MPs in terrestrial and aquatic environments to highlight potential human health effects, and applicable regulations to mitigate impacts of MPs. This study also highlights the importance of personality traits and cognitive ability in reducing the entry of MPs into the environment.
Keywords:
Microplastics, Microfibers, Marine freshwater and terrestrial microplastics, Controlling sources of microplastics
Citation:
Karbalaei, S., Hanachi, P., Walker, T.R., Cole, M., 2018. Occurrence, sources, human health impacts and mitigation of microplastic pollution. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 25(36): 36046–36063. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s1135.
Link:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-018-3508-7
Abstract:
China’s ban on imports of recycled plastic from developed countries takes effect this month. It could be a game changer if it weans us off plastic and forces us to seek sustainable alternatives. With no suitable strategies in place for dealing with this extra unexpected plastic, countries must quickly devise and implement alternative waste-management solutions (see also C. M. Rochman et al. Nature 494, 169–171; 2013). Many jurisdictions have legislation that prohibits dumping of plastic waste into landfill. And stockpiling plastic refuse is ill-advised, given the fire risk at storage sites (see, for example, go.nature.com/2dh3mbg). Moves to change consumer behaviour and implement strategies to cut plastic usage are gaining momentum. International policies and financial disincentives to curb the proliferation of single-use plastics (plastic bags and microbeads) are already showing positive results (D. Xanthos and T. R. Walker Mar. Pollut. Bull. 118, 17–26; 2017). These should be extended to include a ban on other items such as plastic drinking straws, and by widely introducing deposit-and-return schemes for plastic bottles.
Keywords:
China, Imported plastic waste, Ban
Citation:
Walker, T.R., 2018. China’s ban on imported plastic waste could be a game changer (online). China’s ban could curb plastic waste (print). Nature 553(7689): 405-405. DOI: 10.1038/d41586-018-00933-6.
Abstract:
The international community, including those from governments to environmental non-governmental organizations and from individuals to corporations have been inundated recently with talk about the environmental impacts of single-use plastics (SUPs) – especially plastic shopping bags and straws (Schnurr and Walker 2018). In Nova Scotia, marine debris collected as part of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup included SUP items such as cigarette butts, food wrappers, plastic bottle caps, straws/stirrers, and plastic beverage bottles. which broadly mirror those across the rest of Canada. In addition, there were plastic fishing ropes and strapping bands (Pettipas et al. 2016). Microplastic fibers have also been found in intertidal sediments and blue mussels in Halifax Harbour (Mathalon and Hill 2014), and in most seawater grab samples collected in an ongoing study near Lunenburg (CBC News 2018). Canada’s Presidency at the 2018 G7 in Charlevoix had reducing marine plastic pollution, as one (of five) themes in “Working together on climate change, oceans and clean energy” (Government of Canada 2018; Ocean Plastics Charter 2018). After the June G7 meeting, all but two G7 leaders (including the European Union as one whole) committed to, among other announcements, an Ocean Plastics Charter (Japan and the US did not sign on, albeit for vastly different reasons) (Ocean Plastics Charter 2018). In democratic and bureaucratic fashion, the Plastics Charter contains five working areas, each with between two and six commitment actions. All are geared towards “[taking] action toward a resource-efficient lifecycle management approach to plastics in the economy” (Ocean Plastics Charter 2018). The plan is to move towards zero plastic waste, by reducing and recycling SUPs (Walker and Xanthos 2018). This is an are the most vulnerable (these two groups are often not the same). Environment Minister Catherine McKenna was optimistic the Ocean Plastics Charter could be a ‘Paris Agreement for plastics’. The Canadian leadership has spoken and has latched onto plastics as the eco-campaign of 2018. Now Canada needs to walk the talk.
Keywords:
Single-use plastics, Canada, Environmental impact
Citation:
Schnurr, R.E.J., Walker, T.R., 2019. Should Canada’s foreign aid policy help address the environmental impact of single-use plastics?: A commentary. Proceedings of the Nova Scotia Institute of Science 50(1): 35-39.
Link:
https://ojs.library.dal.ca/nsis/article/view/nsis50-1schnurr%2Cwalker
Abstract:
This study measured spatial distribution of marine debris stranded on beaches in South Eleuthera, The Bahamas. Citizen science, fetch modeling, relative exposure index and predictive mapping were used to determine marine debris source and abundance. Citizen scientists quantified debris type and abundance on 16 beaches within three coastal exposures (The Atlantic Ocean, Great Bahama Bank and The Exuma Sound) in South Eleuthera. Marine debris, (~2.5 cm or larger) on each beach was monitored twice between March–May and September–November 2013 at the same locations using GPS. Approximately, 93% of all debris items were plastic with plastic fragments (≤2.5 cm) being the most common. There were spatial differences (p ≤ 0.0001) in plastic debris abundance between coastal exposures. Atlantic Ocean beaches had larger quantities of plastic debris by weight and by meter (m) of shoreline. Stranded plastic may be associated with Atlantic Ocean currents associated with leakage from the North Atlantic sub-tropical gyre.
Keywords:
Marine debris, Plastic pollution monitoring, Citizen science, Relative exposure index (REI), Eleuthera, Bahamas, Atlantic Ocean
Citation:
Ambrose, K.K., Box, C., Boxall, J., Brooks, A., Eriksen, M., Fabres, J., Fylakis G., Walker, T.R., 2019. Spatial trends and drivers of marine debris accumulation on shorelines in South Eleuthera, The Bahamas using citizen science. Marine Pollution Bulletin 142: 145–154.
Link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X19302206
Project name:
Policies to reduce use and disposal of single-use plastics
Project description:
The project aims to build strategic partnerships to mobilize knowledge into solutions and policies to reduce use and disposal of single-use plastics. Our project includes sampling, data collection, interpretation, research engagement and partnership collaboration through the School for Resource and Environmental Studies (SRES) as led by Professor Tony Walker.
Related links:
https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=p2A7JcIAAAAJ&hl=en
Abstract:
Marine litter is an issue of global concern, as recognised by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). In order to establish programmes of measures that aim to reduce plastics and their possible impacts, sources of litter and their pathways to the marine environment need to be identified and quantified. Riverine litter input is estimated to be a major contributor to marine litter, but there is no comprehensive information about the amount of litter being transported through rivers to the sea. Furthermore, there are no harmonised methodologies for providing quantitative data for… comparable assessments of riverine litter. This technical report compiles the options for monitoring riverine litter and quantifying litter fluxes, focusing on anthropogenic litter. It includes the current scientific and technical background regarding litter in river systems, their flow regime and basic properties. The document aims to provide recommendations for monitoring approaches and methodologies. It also provides indications on the issues which need to be further developed in a collaborative approach. An extensive literature review has been performed in order to identify the existing options for the monitoring of litter items in rivers. Different monitoring methods are used in two environmental compartments: river water bodies and riverbanks. For a river water body, the river water surface can be monitored by visual observation and image acquisition, while collection methodologies of the water column include the use of retaining structures and sampling using grids, nets and filtration systems (with different mesh sizes and openings) at different water depths. Riverbank monitoring comprises the observation and eventual collection of litter items and sediment samples from the riverbanks. Methodologies are described and technical details are reported whenever available. As methodologies are further developed and basic research is ongoing, it is currently not possible to provide clear guidance on how to monitor riverine litter, though some initial recommendations can be made. General recommendations highlight the need for additional scientific knowledge, which should be made accessible to facilitate communication and coordination among key players in order to harmonise efforts and provide guidance at international level in a collaborative way. Knowledge gaps should be filled by analysing the outcome of these ongoing activities (the recommendations include a list of identified gaps). As there are no agreed monitoring methodologies at the international level, guidance on the monitoring of riverine litter is needed, including metadata requirements and reporting units. In order to quantify riverine litter input to the marine environment, monitoring methods have to provide data that can be related to river flow in order to be able to calculate litter fluxes (e.g. visual observation of the river water surface and collection method for the river water body).
Keywords:
Anti-pollution device, Aquatic environment, Coastal protection, Consumer behaviour, Data collection, Environmental monitoring, Environmental protection, Environmental research, Inland waterway, Marine ecosystem, Marine pollution, Pollution control, Pollution from land-based sources, Pollution of waterways, Research report, Sea, Water pollutant, Water pollution, Watercourse
Citation:
González, D., Hanke, G., Tweehuysen, G., Bellert, B., Holzhauer, M., Palatinus, A., Hohenblum, P., Oosterbaan, L., 2016. Riverine Litter Monitoring – Options and Recommendations. MSFD GES TG Marine Litter Thematic Report. JRC Technical Report. EUR28307 EN; doi.org/10.2788/461233.