The scientist found that, like the other marine debris, the bottles and the caps they had recovered were sometimes colonized by immobile organisms called epibiontes, which live on the surface of other organisms or materials. The team has found objects with bryozoans, bercles and molluscs attached, with the present of these in correlation with the age of plastic. The bottles and traffic jams also presented typical degradation models of marine exposure – discoloration, wear and fragmentation.

However, despite these transformations, plastic waste of the identification characteristics of the keys preserved, such as product codes, brand names, manufacturing places and dates. These data have helped to retrace their Provence, even when the bottles were damaged or strongly colonized by organizations, providing valuable information on their original and transport roads.

To boys, one of the most disturbing conclusions of his study is the situation on the islands such as the Galapagos and the Rapa Nui, the protected natural areas. As he explains, the epibiontes attached to plastic bottles get up on their beaches, “and this represents a serious threat, because we do not know what species of organisms come out or where they come from. And they can be invasive.”

The work would not have been possible without the collaboration of up to 200 local leaders of 74 social organizations, as well as the 1,000 volunteers who were part of this citizen scientific initiative. Their methodological approach not only attracted the research team to better emphasize the characteristics of plastic waste affecting the Pacific of Latin America, but also to highlight the preferences of regional drinks and consumption trends in different countries.

Proposals to resolve this crisis

Given the present present of despicable plastic bottles, mainly of local origin, one of the main recommendations of researchers is to replace them with a standardized return bottle throughout the region – “as we have done,” said Garcés. “When I was in Kid, the products were sold in returnable glass bottles. This would be one of the main measures we offered to reduce the production of source plastics.”

This measure, Heys, should be cloves by reimbursement polycies and corporate social responsibility initiatives on the part of drinking companies involved. Demanding essential strategies for reusable packaging and liability of large producers of bottled drinks to reduce plastic pollution and protect coastal ecosystems, say the authors. “In the end, companies have their own interesting and are looking for the cheapest alternatives for the production of bottles. This is why governments must get involved, ”explains Garcés. However, hes that improving waste management, espirality in coastal communities, is another key problem that must be addressed.

Researchers also highlight the central role of human behavior in reducing plastic pollution. “As we grow up as a population, consumer Incasses. And, as long as the basic needs of coastal populations in terms of access to drinking water are not satisfied, this will continue to have fun, increasingly contaminating a coastal environment,” said stuck. When drinking water is only available in single plastic bottles, consumers have no alternatives, “limiting their skills to act sustainably”.

This story initially looked at Cable EN ESPAñol and was translated from Spanish.