EFFECTS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION
OCEANS AND RIVERS
A PROBLEM - SOLUTION ESSAY
Trịnh Thị Thu Thủy
FPT University
With the rapid development of the industrial revolution, plastic has become a standard
material everywhere on earth. Its impact on the environment is very obvious and profound,
especially the problem of plastic pollution in the oceans and rivers. Science Advances (2021)
estimates that more than 1000 rivers account for 80% of global annual emissions, ranging
from 0.8 million to 2.7 million tons of plastic waste annually. Plastic pollution has caused
many problems affecting organisms, the food chain, and other aspects, and a lot of solutions
are being sought to minimize and prevent these problems. In this essay, I will discuss two
main issues: problems and solutions to plastic pollution in oceans and rivers.
Plastic pollution has a significant impact on the state of the world's oceans. Microplastics,
macroplastics, fishing gear, beverage containers, cigarette butts, and lost or abandoned
vessels are now the six types of plastic debris that pollute the oceans (Sri Chaitanya
Educational Institution, 2022). One of the main causes of plastic pollution is associated with
people littering indiscriminately. For a long time, increasing waste combined with declining
user awareness has been the primary cause of serious plastic pollution in the ocean. Another
cause is the improper production and disposal of waste by the factory due to profit problems
leading to a large amount of plastic waste ending up in the ocean. Another problem to
consider is plastic waste in the ocean is endangering the lives of marine life. When large
amounts of microplastic particles are absorbed in the body, many animals suffer from
suffocation, infection, and even death. Plastic pollution has resulted in a significant decline in
marine species and has a substantial impact on the food chain. Microplastics' deep penetration
into the bodies of marine species has resulted in a toxic food chain. Furthermore, plastic
pollution in the ocean has numerous consequences, including contributing to global climate
change and affecting countries' economies (Fava, 2022).
Faced with the negative effects of plastic pollution on oceans and rivers, many useful
solutions have been proposed to solve this pressing problem. First, on an individual level,
each individual should build a green lifestyle, minimize plastic-containing products, and
switch to eco-friendly products. It is critical to apply the 3R principle (reduce, reuse, recycle)
when purchasing and using items to help you minimize plastic waste in your house.
Furthermore, we can participate in community-wide campaigns to reduce plastic waste.
Companies also bear a significant amount of responsibility for reducing plastic waste as a
result of their manufacturing and waste treatment processes. They should carefully consider
and manage this issue. Meanwhile, they can strive to produce environmentally friendly, long-
lasting product lines. Many companies have incorporated this concept into the design of their
products. Eric Liedtke, the head of Adidas’ Global Brands unit, told the SXSW conference
that the company wants to produce all its products from recycled ocean plastic by 2024
(Maceachern, 2018). To solve the problem of plastic pollution in oceans, countries'
governments should support legislation that limits the production and disposal of plastic
waste. The Plastic Pollution Escape Act of 2021 in the United States, is a federal bill aimed at
addressing the plastic pollution crisis and contains a number of state initiatives to introduce
manufacturer liability legislation that makes Plastic manufacturers and distributors
responsible for their products when packaged (Hutchinson, 2022). Moreover, the government
should also develop policies to support organizations to reduce plastic pollution and widely
propagate this issue to all people to build a community to protect oceans and rivers.
In general, the solution to reducing ocean plastic waste is still a controversial issue because
many factors influence these solutions. The main factor helping to limit the problem of
plastic pollution from oceans and rivers comes from human consciousness. Since individual
changes will positively affect the whole society, this will contribute to a world with healthy
rivers and oceans. Although plastic products have many negative effects, they still bring
benefits such as convenience, and especially low cost suitable for everyone. Moreover, the
profit of products containing disposable plastic packaging is huge. These are the reasons that
hinder the reduction of plastic pollution. It is extremely difficult to produce plastic substitutes
at a reasonable price, and the processing and recycling of plastic waste by companies and
factories is also very costly. For these reasons, the solutions to preventing plastic pollution
are still a mystery.
In conclusion, plastic pollution in oceans and rivers is a burning problem in many countries
and continents. It causes a lot of negative consequences for marine ecosystems and human
life. This is a problem the world is still trying to solve. Many countries and businesses have
petitioned the United Nations to issue a global plastic treaty that sets out regulations and
policies to reduce plastic contamination. We all have the same thinking that the oceans and
rivers will all be healthy, clean places in the future.
Reference:
Fava, M. (2022, May 9). Ocean plastic pollution an overview: data and statistics. UNESCO.
Retrieved from: https://oceanliteracy.unesco.org/plastic-pollution-ocean/?fbclid=IwAR1Eh-
K1DZ-R0s-lnOoiMVkNqLfB06EBRz6OqLRkqrLmmgfPSarJ5n03pdg
Hutchinson, B. (2022, Feb 24). 7 Solutions To Ocean Plastic Pollution. Published February
24, 2022. Retrieved from: https://www.oceanicsociety.org/resources/7-ways-to-reduce-ocean-
plastic-pollution-today/?
fbclid=IwAR1VGiZp2sXUOo7mPS5GU5mpl_gELm3E1bsqUnOYZ9-NLx9UJiB6kP2lzjI
Maceachern, D. (2018, Apr 12). 7 Companies Committed to Cleaning Up Plastic Pollution.
Retrieved from: https://www.momscleanairforce.org/7-companies-clean-up-plastic-
pollution/?fbclid=IwAR3fSu46G4SE1v-nbzrlv5JNEqJnclbhLEhGDFVoT-
1Aw8tbe2_V1M5b2Zk
Meijer, L. J. J., Emmerik, T. v., Ent, R. v. d., & Schmidt, C. (30 Apr 2021).Science
Advances. More than 1000 rivers account for 80% of global riverine plastic emissions into
the ocean. Retrieved from: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aaz5803?
fbclid=IwAR2GAuDGkeKWjTEfboUEpoz3Bpv8xsBI6Asm0ftK277kMryUBxkw1qyYy5g
Plastic Pollution – Explanation, Causes, Types, and Effects. Published 2022. Sri Chaitanya
Educational Institution. Retrieved from: https://infinitylearn.com/surge/chemistry/plastic-
pollution/?fbclid=IwAR0CaoDfXumhm5PkT1Mkzv1z2HH5PY80-
3YmzEr2nV4dKygMyHiWRZvswQ4#:~:text=There%20are%20six%20types%20of,than
%20five%20millimeters%20in%20size
