WWF: More than four times more plastic in the ocean by 2050

Plastic production is expected to double by 2040, causing plastic waste in the ocean to more than quadruple by 2050 compared to today. This can be read in a report published on Tuesday by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Even if all plastic production stops now, the number of microplastics in the ocean could still more than double by 2050, the analysis estimates.

The research was carried out by the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research. Some seas already contain higher concentrations of plastic waste, which may have ecological consequences. According to the institute, this mainly concerns the Mediterranean Sea, the East China and the Yellow Sea and the Arctic Ocean.

It is estimated that about 90 percent of seabirds ingest plastic and a total of 2144 animal species are affected by the plastic in their living environment.

The German institute based its analysis on more than 2,500 studies on the impact of plastic pollution on the sea and ecosystems. According to this study, coral reefs and mangrove forests suffer the most from plastic pollution. These nature reserves are both also called the nursery of the ocean, because many fish species are born here.

The WWF says that, for example, banning single-use plastic and the use of alternatives to plastic could be important measures to combat pollution. “All studies show that plastic waste in oceans is an irreversible process,” says Oskar de Roos, who is a plastic expert at the World Wildlife Fund in the Netherlands. “If we don’t act quickly, the consequences of plastic pollution will be incalculable.” The WWF therefore wants, among other things, a United Nations convention against plastic pollution.