Scientists discovered that, like other marine debris, the bottles and caps they recovered were sometimes colonized by real estate organisms called epibioni, who live on the surface of other organisms or materials. The team found objects with panache, cirripedi and molluscs attached, with the presence of these related with the age of plastic. Bottles and caps have also shown typical degradation patterns of the marine exhibition: Scopo, usury and fragmentation.
However, despite these transformations, plastic waste has often maintained the identification characteristics of the key, such as product codes, brands, production positions and dates. These data have contributed to tracing their origin, even when the bottles were damaged or heavily colonized by the bodies, providing valuable information on their origin and transport paths.
For Garcés, one of the most worrying conclusions of his study is the situation on islands such as the Galapagos and the Nui turnip, the protected natural areas. As explained, the epibioni attached to plastic bottles are washing on their beaches, “and this represents a serious threat, because we do not know which species of organisms are coming or where they come from. And they can be invasive”.
The work would not have been possible without the collaboration of a maximum of 200 local leaders of 74 social organizations, as well as of the 1,000 volunteers who were part of this initiative of citizens’ sciences. Their methodological approach has not only allowed the research team to better understand the characteristics of plastic waste that affect the Latin American Pacific, but also to understand the regional preferences of drinks and consumption trends in different countries.
Proposals to solve this crisis
Given the widespread presence of US plastic bottles, mainly of local origin, one of the main recommendations of researchers is to replace them with standardized refundable bottles throughout the region, “as we did,” says Garcés. “When I was a child, the products were sold in refundable glass bottles. This would be one of the main measures that we propose to reduce the production of plastic materials from the source.”
This measure, he says, should be integrated by reimbursement policies and social responsibility initiatives of companies by the companies of drinks involved. Ask for reusable packaging and responsibilities by large bottled drinks producers are essential strategies to reduce plastic pollution and protect coastal ecosystems, the authors say. “In the end, companies have their own interests and seek the cheapest alternatives for the production of bottles. That’s why governments must be involved,” says Garcés. However, he says that the improvement of waste management, especially in coastal communities, is another key issue that must be addressed.
Researchers also highlight the central role of human behavior in reducing plastic pollution. “As we grow as a population, consumption increases. And as long as the basic needs of coastal populations in terms of access to drinking water are not satisfied, it will continue to increase, contaminating more and more coastal environments,” says Garcés. When drinking water is available only in disposable plastic bottles, consumers have no alternatives, “limit their ability to act in a sustainable way”.
This story originally appeared on Wired en español And it was translated by the Spaniard.
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