1 / 23

Plastic Oceans

Join Ruwanthi Halwala for a presentation on the prevention of plastics from entering our waterways. Learn about the impact of plastic pollution on our ecosystems and discover practical solutions for reducing plastic waste. Help protect our streams, rivers, and oceans from the harmful effects of plastic pollution.

gandhi
Download Presentation

Plastic Oceans

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  2. Plastic Oceans IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala The Prevention of Plastics from Mississauga Entering Streams, Rivers, The Great Lakes and The Ocean Presentionby: Ruwanthi Halwala

  3. Introduction Ruwanthi (Ru) Halwala, Hon B.Sc., University of Toronto, Mississauga • IHTEC intern- Case Study • Contact: rm.halwala@gmail.com Julia Morton- Marr, B.Ed., Founding president International Holistic Tourism Education Centre (IHTEC) • Canadian Educational Charitable NGO • Peace and Sustainability Education • ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council) status • http://www.ihtec.org IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  4. Captain Charles Moore Pioneer in discovering the Eastern Pacific garbage patch, stimulating research, and developing protocols for monitoring beach/marine plastics, now used worldwide http://www.algalita.org Source: http://www.algalita.org/about-us/bios/charles.html IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  5. Land to Ocean Issues • Polystyrene made practical in 1938 • Over 80% from land • 5 Gyres • www.5gyres.org • In water : photodegradation • Plastic soup • Nurdles • Bioaccumulation Source: http://www.californiagreensolutions.com/cgi-bin/gt/tpl.h,content=2467, onemoregeneration.org IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  6. Plastics and its components can remain in the ocean, and are easily absorbed into organisms, and might even accumulate over the food chain IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  7. Throwaway economies Contributing to the litter in the ocean and the great lakes Source:http://wavepatrol.wordpress.com/2010/10/08/the-plastic-shore-waste-build-up-in-the-north-pacific-ocean-twice-the-size-of-texas/ IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  8. Whale dead after consuming plastic Sperm whales generally have a life expectancy of over 70 years Source: http://envireusablebags.com/2013/04/plastic-litter-kills-a-sperm-whale-in-the-mediterranean/ IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  9. Sea birds commonly mistake plastic for food 200,000 Albatross chicks die each year Sources: http://plasticproblem.blogspot.ca/p/issue.html , http://animal.discovery.com/birds/ocean-gyre-albatross-ocean-gyre-birds-pictures.htm IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  10. Case Study –Mississauga, Erindale • Significant plastic litter on Highway 403 ramps • Pollution, wind, rainurban runoff. • Ministry of Transportation contracts out highway cleanup • Funding : limited • Highway exits, plastic litter smaller than the size of a shoebox • Local MPP • More community groups, citizen involvement IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  11. Highway 403 Mississauga: Confederation Parkway IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  12. Street litter Plastic bits are washed to the sides and enter the drainage system IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  13. Mississauga/ Peel Region: Currently • Currently : LitterNot, Adopt A Highway/Park Program • The Great Shore-Line Cleanup and Pitch-In Canada, • Debris By-Law : Fine • EcoSource, Brampton Clean City Committee and Eco Caledon • The problem : still present IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  14. Mississauga/ Peel Region: What we don’t know • Community groups – have any adopted the Erin Mills Parkway (Exit 113) ramp on Highway 403? • Any progress with cleaning? • Corporations / Businesses • Education? • Who are our litter bugs? IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  15. International Recommendations • Australia: Refunds on plastics returns • 10 cents/bottle, built into the sale price • 90% of all bottles, cans, • “Keep Australia Beautiful” • “ You dropped that, Sport” IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  16. International Recommendations • California • Littering fine • Polystyrene (Styrofoam) prohibition • Eliminated plastic bags • Germany • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) : fines/ incentives, Source reduction • Recycled content laws IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  17. International Recommendations • Australia: Refunds on plastics returns • 10 cents/bottle, built into the sale price • 90% of all bottles, cans, • “Keep Australia Beautiful” • “ You dropped that, Sport” IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  18. IHTEC Recommends • Media campaign for Ontario, “ Keep Canada Beautiful” • Focus on positive, practical solution • Mascot : Canadian, relatable • “Cradle to cradle” approach • Lids on household recycling bins • Increasing littering fines • Educational programs, particularly in schools and Universities • Incentives IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  19. IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  20. Decomposition rates for common marine debris Land plastics take 500-1o00 years to decompose Source: http://www.cereplast.com/marine-debris-decomposition-rates/ IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  21. Conclusion/ Future implications • Where do we go from here? • Changing how we think about plastics • Culture of sustainability • Reduce consumerism IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  22. IHTEC’S Marine Peace Parks? IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

  23. Sources • http://www.kinnelonconserves.net/Why-Is-It-So-Bad-.html • http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.ca/2012_01_08_archive.html • http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/species/Spermwhale.shtml • http://www.californiagreensolutions.com/cgi-bin/gt/tpl.h,content=2467 • http://www.mindfully.org/Berkeley/Berkeley-Plastics-Task-Force.htm • http://www.chrisjordan.com/gallery/midway/#CF000313%2018x24 IHTEC | Plastic Oceans | R. M. Halwala

More Related