Plastic waste floating in the world’s ocean has been ranked
as one of the largest ecological problems as a menace to marine life as well as
a danger to shipping. With the problem of ocean plastics expected to grow
substantially in the coming years, the UK Chamber of Shipping is launched a new
Single-Use Plastic Charter seeking to encourage companies to ban the use of
non-essential single-use plastics by the end of 2021.
Research has found that 80 percent of plastic enters the
marine environment from land-based sources, especially via rivers, according to
the Chamber. They pointed out that through the IMO, MARPOL Annex V prohibits
the discharge of garbage, including plastic, into the sea. While the shipping industry
has, over the last few decades, been proactive in improving its environmental
performance, the pointed out that it is estimated there are over 150 million
tons of plastic in the world’s oceans. Every year, one million birds and over
100,000 sea mammals die from ingesting or becoming entangled in plastic waste,
yet the UK Government estimates that plastic in the sea is set to increase by
threefold by 2025.
Companies that sign the new charter will aim to develop
initiatives and replace nonessential single-use plastics as soon as possible,
but no later than December 31, 2021. The Chamber says that those signing the
new charter have pledged to go beyond both the IMO’s initiatives and the UK
Government’s commitment to ban single-use plastics, which focuses on the
exclusion of plastic straws, coffee/tea stirrers and plastic stemmed cotton
swabs.
The Single-Use Plastic Charter also aims to help the
industry be part of the circular economy, and where applicable create cultural
change to both passengers and seafarers’ attitudes towards single-use plastic.
The Chamber has, with the help of several member companies,
produced a guidance document entitled “Best Practice on Combating Single-Use
Plastic in Shipping.” The guidance showcases several initiatives to replace the
use of non-essential single-use plastic by more environmentally friendly
solutions.
A total of 29 companies from across the maritime sector have
already signed the charter. This includes shipping companies ranging from DFDS
to Irish Ferries, P&O Ferries, Stena Line and from the cruise sector
Carnival UK and MSC Cruises. It also includes towing and commercial shippers,
ports and harbor commissions and other sectors of the shipping world.