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Text by Linus Theorell
Hanna Koloszyc
Text by Linus Theorell
On Thursday, 13 March 2014, Hanna Koloszyc, a student from the Ecotechnology program at the Mid Sweden University, presented about the millions of tons of plastics that is floating in the oceans and due to tidal currents are combined together to form huge islands of trash. In just three years, plastic debris can move around 13 000 km and sometimes even end up where it was first thrown into the ocean.
About 6 million tons of this plastic have ended up in oceans and in the ecological system where it remains for a very long time due to the high resistance to decomposition. Today there are around 18 000 pieces of plastic in one square kilometer of sea water. The main problem with plastics in the ocean is that eventually they are broken down into pieces not much bigger then plankton; the main food of many sea creatures. As a result, fish, sea birds and other creatures ingest plastics, which build up in their body. The plastic also often contain synthetic hormones, like BPA (Bisphenol A), which can have major effects in the ecological system.
Hanna presented a creative solution to clean up the oceans, and converting the plastics into oil. There are also discussions in the EU about new legislations regarding the plastic problem. But the most important thing one can do as an individual is to REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, and RECYCLE plastics.
A dead fulmar with a stomach filled with plastic.