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Plastic waste in the ocean has continued to be a topic of interest in the United States and globally. This plastic study will bring experts together to study the United States contributions to global ocean plastic waste, as defined in the draft "Save Our Seas Act 2.0" bill. The study began June 2020 and will last for 18 months with a final report scheduled for publication in the Fall of 2021. This page contains updates on the project.
Featured publication
Consensus
·2022
An estimated 8 million metric tons (MMT) of plastic waste enters the world's ocean each year - the equivalent of dumping a garbage truck of plastic waste into the ocean every minute. Plastic waste is now found in almost every marine habitat, from the ocean surface to deep sea sediments to the ocean'...
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Description
An ad hoc committee will be convened to undertake a study on the United States contributions to global ocean plastic waste.
1. Evaluate United States contributions to global ocean plastic waste, including types, sources and geographic variations.
a. compare to global estimates of plastic waste entering the ocean
b. assess US contribution by mass and percentage of total
c. evaluate US contribution according to size class
2. Assess the prevalence of marine debris and mismanaged plastic waste in saltwater and freshwater United States waterways.
a. include contributions from land-based industry, littering, mismanaged waste, wastewater treatment plant discharge, river discharge, accidental transportation-related releases, or other significant sources
b. evaluate how much and what proportion of upstream waste flows downstream to the ocean
c. include state of knowledge about distribution and fate of different types of plastic within the water column, nearshore and offshore.
3. Examine the import and export of plastic waste to and from the United States, including the destinations of the exported plastic and the waste management infrastructure and environmental conditions of these locations.
a. estimate U.S. virgin plastic shipped internationally for manufacture of plastic products in other countries
b. determine the mass and percentage of United States total plastic waste exported (historic and current estimates) and how these estimates compare to other nations
c. identify the origin of plastic materials in the US waste stream (plastic feedstock and manufactured products)
d. assess the trend of landfill deposits and debris in US waterways following current plastic export bans to other countries
4. Assess the potential value of a national marine debris tracking and monitoring system and how such a system might be designed and implemented.
a. consider how the tracking and monitoring system could be used to identify priorities for source reduction and cleanup, assess progress in reducing US contribution to global ocean plastic waste, and determine which existing systems or technologies would be most effective for reducing inputs of plastic waste to the ocean.
b. assess how the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project protocols can inform a nationwide shoreline monitoring effort when implemented at greater spatial and temporal resolution
5. Develop recommendations on knowledge gaps that warrant further scientific inquiry.
6. Recommend potential means to reduce United States contributions to global ocean plastic waste.
Collaborators
Sponsors
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Staff
Kelly Oskvig
Kenza Sidi-Ali-Cherif
