Ocean plastic pollution

Our not-so-wonderful ‘wonder material’ 

Plastic has helped humanity progress in ways unimaginable only a century ago, from revolutionising healthcare to prolonging the lifespan of foods. 

But plastic is devastating to nature – particularly the ocean. Once plastic enters the sea, it is carried by waves and storms and is broken down into smaller and smaller pieces – eventually to the size of a grain of sand – but never fully disappears. Plastic is being ingested by an enormous variety of marine life, from microscopic plankton to blue whales, and is polluting parts of the world that lack the resources to deal with the problem. 

Only twenty percent of the plastic pollution in our seas and oceans comes directly from illegal dumping at sea or commercial fishing activity. The majority enters the oceans from land-based sources of plastic debris and even from our very own homes. 

Tackling plastic pollution together

Fauna & Flora and our global partners are tackling marine plastic pollution worldwide. From targeting the issue at its very source through international policy change, to finding solutions to specific pollution problems in the countries where we work, we are collectively working towards a world where our ocean is plastic-free, as it used to be for millennia.