We should aware of the process of how the plastic can end up in the ocean so that the marine environment can become cleaner, and to maintain the continuity of the marine life in the sea. This problem had made us really concerned and sad to see almost along the river are full of piled up garbage. If you ever watch some videos about the pollution of our sea due to garbage, oil and others, it is very shocking actually. Even many marine animals such as sharks, whales, turtles, dolphins had to face the consequences because of our acts. The differences between Sea and Ocean based on the segments.
Plastic waste which is thrown in the water stream like the sea is hard to decompose properly. It is very dangerous for the survival of marine biota. For this reason, let’s check the process on how plastics can end up in the ocean that must be considered carefully:
How garbage can end up in the ocean
The entry of large amounts of plastic waste into the first ocean through rivers and runoff from land will certainly have a negative impact on the marine ecological system. Surprisingly, plastic waste will be consumed by marine animals that can cause death or disruption of the development of marine animal populations, then it will indirectly lead to a decrease in the primary productivity of marine waters. In addition, the photosynthesis process in the sea will be disrupted either. Hence the processes of continents and Ocean formation.
Plastic waste is a pollutant material that cannot or is difficult to biodegrade in nature (non biodegradable matter), so plastic waste can stay or be persistent in the marine environment. Because the density of plastic waste is smaller than seawater, this waste is floating on the surface of the water and will be likely to move from one location to another carried by currents and ocean waves.
Waste management efforts
A best step that we can take to get rid of this plastic waste is to control the amount of the waste that is dumped in the river and sea. Knowing that plastic waste is difficult to decompose in nature, the most important step in controlling plastic waste is to apply the principle of reducing waste disposal through minimizing the use of plastic for various human needs. The characteristics of Ocean Biome and the explanation.
Technological developments have now been able to produce synthetic plastics in large quantities and those are relatively inexpensive for various human needs. But by knowing the fact that synthetic plastic material is not easily biodegradable in nature, it will be good for industrial technology to produce plastics that can be decomposed in nature, or producing plastic substitute materials such as paper materials that are safer for the nature.
Another effort that can be done is to reprocess plastic waste into economically valuable materials, and implemented it in a waste management system, especially in urban areas. So far we have seen that the waste management program carried out by the government in urban areas is only intended to move waste to another place.
Integrated waste management
The process to tackle the issues of plastic waste is by implementing integrated waste management. With this waste management system, the waste can be reused maximally and the volume wasted into the environment including the marine environment will become small. The level of salinity in the ocean will make you shocked.
Given that the plastic waste can be carried by currents and ocean waves to other places and across the countries, the control of plastic waste needs to be done through global partnership actions, especially for Asian countries that are declared to be the largest producers of plastic waste in the world, such as China, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, and Bangladesh.
The global partnership in controlling pollution of plastic waste in the oceans will enable the development of systems and technology to clean the oceans from plastic waste on the one hand, and encourage technological development to produce substitutes for plastic materials on the other hand. Cooperation between countries is expected to be initiated by the Indonesian government as a concrete form since Indonesia is a world maritime axis. The effects of acid rain on ocean that you should know.
If there is no effort done by the Indonesian government to reduce the volume of waste disposal into the sea, this means that we had allowed our sea to be polluted by plastic waste. This condition, of course, is certainly not in line with the commitment of the maritime axis because our marine biological resources can experience depletion which in turn will reduce our marine fisheries production nationally in the long run.
Change the mentality of the nation
One of the prevention and also the process on how the plastic can end up in the ocean is by changing the bad habit of the nation regarding waste. It cannot be denied that the increasing volume of plastic waste disposal to the sea through rivers is inseparable from the behavior of our people who are not yet environmentally conscious. The usage of plastic in everyday life will practically increase the volume of plastic waste, and most of it will end in the rivers then flow to the oceans. Hence the most complete eight characteristics of the Pacific Ocean.
To reduce the volume of waste entering the sea, in principle, a mental revolution must occur in order to avoid littering the river. So far, we have seen that disposing of garbage into rivers is the most practical way of dealing with garbage piles in the household, especially those near the watershed. These shortcuts are indeed the cheapest and fastest way to clean garbage from the yard.
The mental revolution of the community can only occur if there is a continuous counseling effort from the relevant institutions coupled with the consistent enforcement of environmental laws and provided garbage collection facilities that are easily accessible to the community. The effects of ocean noise pollution on marine animals.
If public isn’t aware of the environment, then the ocean will be the final waste collection sites. This will be a danger even in the future, there will be no life of marine biota if the government and the entire nation are not sensitive and eager to stop the disposal of garbage in the sea.
Thus some explanations regarding the process on how the plastic can end up in the Ocean. Hopefully, it can increase your awareness and your knowledge in maintaining the sustainability of marine life for the next generation of the nation.