We Need NOAA to Keep Fishing Communities Strong

The United States has long recognized the link between our ocean and our economy. For nearly 50 years, bipartisan congressional leadership has designed and built a world-class science and management system with the goal of conserving our living marine resources for the good of the American people. Today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) supports that vision by helping us better understand, predict and protect the ocean and coastal communities from threats that could upend our economy and our way of life. 

NOAA’s impact is especially felt in America’s fishing communities, which put billions of pounds of seafood on plates nationwide and provide millions of people with recreational opportunities. Through NOAA Fisheries’ essential science, enforcement and management, the United States has some of the most productive fisheries in the world—but that wasn’t always the case. 

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Just a few decades ago, overfishing was rampant and many fisheries faced devastating stock collapses. Congress and past administrations worked together with industry, scientists and the public to build a better system with NOAA at the helm. Thanks to NOAA’s sustainable management, our fisheries are healthier and our seafood supply is safe. Today, its role is more important than ever as pollution, warming waters and industrialization threaten to push American fisheries back to their limit. 

Read Our Fact Sheet on How NOAA Keeps Fishing Communities Strong

NOAA provides critical science and support to fishing businesses and communities. NOAA’s fishery surveys and data collection efforts form the basis of our science-based fishery management system. Without this information, managers would not have the latest information and would be flying blind when setting catch levels for important stocks like pollock, salmon, red snapper, cod, tuna and more.

Since fishing is a deeply local industry, NOAA Fisheries has a presence in coastal areas across the country in order to better support community needs. The fishery management system that NOAA supports is a uniquely collaborative effort that empowers state managers, fishermen and others to contribute to fishery management so that decisions are tailored to the needs of fisheries in each region. The expertise of NOAA’s scientists, managers, liaisons, communicators and more helps ensure that NOAA’s science and decisions meet the needs of the fishing industry and fishing communities around the nation.

All parts of NOAA support the business of fishing and the seafood industry. Fishermen rely on accurate weather forecasts to make decisions about whether and where to fish and how to do so safely. NOAA provides nautical charts and tide information that support safe maritime navigation for fishermen and for the vessels that transport seafood around the United States and the globe. Coastal communities also need to know about hazards in the marine environment. Through NOAA’s work to understand red tides, fishermen and coastal visitors can avoid affected areas to ensure safe waters. 

Congress has long invested in the safety, stability and future wellbeing of communities across the country by supporting NOAA so that it can provide life-saving weather forecasting and emergency preparedness services, conduct scientific research and restore and maintain our coasts and marine resources for the benefit of the American people. Now more than ever, we need Congress to support NOAA’s critical programs and services. 

For more than 35 years, Ocean Conservancy has worked to find practical solutions to the challenging problems facing our fisheries. We have seen the impact NOAA has on ensuring we have healthy fish populations and thriving fishing businesses in the United States. Disrupting the regular and timely provisioning of these science and service products, whether it be through loss of critical staff and capacity, closing programs and offices, ending science and surveys, or other such cuts, will result in direct and lasting harm to coastal communities, businesses and the American people. Take action now to stand up for NOAA.

Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with our partners, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it.

The post We Need NOAA to Keep Fishing Communities Strong appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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Plastic Pollution’s Toll on Seabirds

This blog was co-written by Dan Berkson and Hannah De Frond. Hannah works with Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto Trash Team to manage the International Trash Trap Network (ITTN), a global network of local groups using trash traps to increase cleanup efforts, engage communities and inform upstream solutions. 

Plastic pollution devastates our ocean, and its impact on marine wildlife—especially seabirds—is severe and far-reaching. Seabirds breed on land but search for food at sea, bringing them into frequent contact with plastic pollution accumulating both along shores and in surface waters worldwide. Unfortunately, ingesting plastics can prove to be deadly for these amazing animals.

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Eating plastics for seabirds can obstruct their digestive systems, preventing them from eating actual food, and leading to starvation. Sometimes it takes only one piece of plastic to block the passage of food. Plastic ingestion has been found in every family of seabird. Below are details on how some species are uniquely impacted by plastic pollution.   

• Northern fulmar: Northern fulmars are surface feeders, diving into the ocean to snag prey. Unfortunately, their foraging habits bring them face to face with floating plastic fragments which they mistake for food. A 2015 study in the Arctic revealed a staggering 90% of northern fulmars studied had plastics in their stomachs. These creatures are so prone to eating plastics that both the Canadian government and OSPAR Commission (the mechanism through which the European Union and 15 other governments cooperate to protect the North East Atlantic marine environment) use this species in their monitoring programs to track long-term trends in ocean plastic pollution. 

• Short-tailed shearwater: Short-tailed shearwaters are also particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution, frequently consuming both rubber—such as balloons—and hard fragments. A 2014 study in Tasmania found plastic in the stomachs of 96% of short-tailed shearwater chicks studied.

• Laysan albatross: The Laysan albatross skims the ocean surface with its beak to hunt for prey. This hunting behavior makes it likely that the albatross will accidentally consume plastic debris like consumer products (e.g., hard fragments, lighters, buttons) or fishing lines. Adult albatrosses also feed their chicks by regurgitating food, unknowingly passing plastics on to their young. A heartbreaking 1997 study on Midway Atoll, a remote Pacific island, found 97.5% of Laysan albatross chicks had plastic in their stomachs.

• Petrel: More than 50% of petrel species are listed as “threatened” or “near threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Petrels often inhabit areas with high concentrations of plastic pollution such as the high seas and mid-ocean gyres. Unlike other seabirds, they struggle to regurgitate plastic. This means the plastics they ingest tend to remain in their bodies for extended periods. 

What can you do?

If we fail to take action, studies predict that 99% of seabird species will ingest plastic by 2050, which is devasting given how vulnerable seabirds are to even the smallest amount of plastic. Ocean Conservancy is committed to protecting our ocean, wildlife and communities from plastic pollution. But we can’t do it alone. Here is how you can join the fight: 

• Reduce plastic use: To tackle our plastic pollution crisis, we need to use less plastic. We can each do our part by avoiding single-use plastics where possible in our daily lives from carrying a reusable water bottle and bag to skipping a straw. These small actions add up and collectively reduce the amount of plastic waste we create, while sending a clear signal to plastic producers that we are fed up with single-use plastics. 

• Clean up plastic pollution before it enters the ocean: Cleaning up plastic waste, whether on the beach, along a river, or in your neighborhood park, helps eliminate the likelihood that it will later be consumed by seabirds or other marine life. One of the best ways to do this is by joining the International Coastal Cleanup^® (ICC). Use our map to find a coordinator planning a cleanup in your region. Want something closer to home? Team up with friends and family to clean up your favorite beach or beloved park. If you see plastic on beaches, shores or elsewhere, remember to clean it up—it could save a seabird’s life.

• Push for policy change: Advocate for legislation to address plastic pollution by holding corporations accountable for the waste they create, expanding support for reuse and refill systems and much more. Visit Ocean Conservancy’s Action Center to see how you can get involved.

The post Plastic Pollution’s Toll on Seabirds appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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Learnings from the National Working Waterfronts Networks Conference

I recently represented Ocean Conservancy at the National Working Waterfronts Network Conference in San Diego. The conference brought together maritime industry leaders, policymakers and community advocates, all working toward a shared vision for the future of our waterfronts.

As an engineer, former mariner and ocean conservationist I know that decarbonizing our ports requires cross-sector partnerships. The discussions throughout the National Working Waterfronts Network Conference reinforced how essential it is to bring together experts from engineering, policy and workforce development to drive meaningful change towards port decarbonization.

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Throughout the conference, I discussed the need for a comprehensive, systems-level approach that integrates infrastructure investment, regulatory alignment and workforce development. Preparing the workforce for decarbonization is just as crucial as deploying zero-emission technologies. Investments in training programs and workforce development initiatives will equip maritime professionals with the expertise needed for the next generation of sustainable shipping. Collaboration among industry, government and educational institutions should also be used to create comprehensive training programs that align with emerging port technologies and regulatory requirements.

Another highlight of the conference was seeing the eWolf. Designed by the marine company Cowley, the eWolf is the first fully electric tug in the United States. This cutting-edge vessel is 82 feet long and has a 70-ton bollard pull. It is powered by a 6-megawatt-hour battery system that eliminates emissions, equipped with onboard energy management systems to optimize power use and fitted with azimuth thrusters for enhanced maneuverability. This vessel drastically reduces harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and particulate matter, improving air quality for nearby communities while maintaining the performance required for commercial operations. It takes bold industry players like Crowley to lead the way toward port decarbonization—and, let’s be honest, eWolf is just a cool name.

I left the National Working Waterfronts Network Conference with a deeper appreciation for the professionals working to ensure our waterfronts remain vibrant, resilient and sustainable. The challenge ahead is clear: How do we scale these innovations while maintaining the economic viability of our ports and coastal industries? 

The answer lies in open collaboration among industry leaders, policymakers and communities, accelerated adoption of zero-emission technologies, strategic investments in clean-energy infrastructure and bold decision-making prioritizing sustainability and economic growth. That’s why Ocean Conservancy is spearheading projects like the Green Ports Interactive Funding Tracker—an innovative resource that aims to empower port authorities, environmental managers and sustainability experts by providing real-time updates and comprehensive insights into available funding.

Now is the time to turn conversations into action. Ocean Conservancy is committed to working alongside partners across the maritime industry to drive a cleaner, more sustainable future. Take action now to help Ocean Conservancy address today’s biggest threats to our ocean, including the climate crisis and plastic pollution.

The post Learnings from the National Working Waterfronts Networks Conference appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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The Truth About Plastic Fragments

This blog was written by Hannah De Frond. Hannah works with Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto Trash Team to manage the International Trash Trap Network (ITTN), a global network of local groups using trash traps to increase cleanup efforts, engage communities and inform upstream solutions. 

During coastal cleanup events, no matter where you are in the world, chances are you’ll encounter plastic items like bottles, bottle caps, straws and packaging. However, plastic fragments that are smaller and more difficult to see may be difficult to see within the sand or soil. 

Plastic fragments are small hard pieces of plastic, typically formed as larger plastic items that break up in the environment. As plastics are exposed to sunlight, waves and winds, they become brittle, crack and break into pieces. With each item of plastic that enters the environment, there is the potential for it to break into hundreds or even thousands of fragments. Due to its small, lightweight nature, each fragment moves differently in the environment and can have a totally different fate. Some fragments get washed into the ocean and float on the surface or sink to the ocean floor, some become buried in a sandy beach, and some are blown further afield with strong winds.

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Plastic fragments are found in many environments, including lakes, rivers, terrestrial sediments and coastal marine environments. Plastic fragments are removed each year in the “tiny trash” collected during Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup®. They are among the top 10 items reported by groups in the International Trash Trap Network, an initiative co-led by Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto Trash Team, using technologies to clean up our waterways. 

One study in Brazil found 2,661 fragments in a 100-meter section of beach. Plastic fragments are also frequently reported in studies of plastic ingestion by wildlife such as fish, seabirds and turtles. Ingested plastic fragments can cause tissue damage and inflammation and can concentrate harmful chemical pollutants which have the potential to leach out inside the gut, negatively impacting animal health. 

Just like other large plastic items, plastic fragments also undergo environmental weathering which causes them to break apart into even smaller pieces—microplastics (<5mm) and eventually into nanoplastics (<100nm). These micro- and nano-sized fragments are frequently found in the environment and, due to their size, are easily ingested by wildlife. One analysis of scientific research to date revealed that fragments are ingested by 19% of fish globally. 

To reduce plastic fragment pollution, we need to tackle the problem at the source by reducing the production and use of larger plastic items, like single-use plastics, from which fragments are generated. This includes commonly used polluting items like plastic bottles, straws, food containers, cups and plates. By reducing our plastic waste, reusing as much as possible and recycling when possible, we can, collectively, have a huge impact.

Both Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto are deeply committed to ridding our ocean and planet of insidious and harmful plastic pollution through efforts like the International Trash Trap Network and the International Coastal Cleanup. Please join us in ensuring that our ocean and waterways are not overrun by microplastics or any form of plastic pollution.

The post The Truth About Plastic Fragments appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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How Recent Executive Actions Impact Our Ocean and Climate

On the first day of his second administration, January 20, 2025, President Trump undertook a flurry of executive actions, many of which jeopardize a healthy ocean and the health of the people and wildlife that rely on it. 

Presidents can direct the work of the federal government using authority given to them by either the U.S. Constitution or a law passed by Congress. When a president decides to use this authority, they share their decision through executive actions like Executive Orders, Presidential Memoranda or Presidential Proclamations. The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, for example, is a law passed by Congress, and one of the authorities this law gives to the president is the authority to stop areas offshore from being leased to companies for resource extraction, like oil and gas or minerals, thereby protecting them from these harmful activities. Examples of authorities presidents have from the Constitution include sharing information on the state of the union with Congress and granting pardons for federal crimes. 

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Recent executive actions from President Trump, explained below, undo significant ocean conservation measures and halt or reverse climate action that protects us and future generations from pollution, extreme weather caused by the climate crisis, and the loss of natural resources foundational to coastal economies, heritage and cultures. 

• Executive Order 14162 withdraws the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement and any associated international climate agreements. It also ends U.S. financial and other assistance to global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help communities and ecosystems adapt to the effects of climate change. (Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements)

Why it matters: The United States is the largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases and still makes the top three list for most annual emissions. We cannot address climate change and protect the ocean without action from the largest emitter.

Meeting the Paris Agreement targets helps stabilize climate systems, ensuring our ocean continues to sustain biodiversity, provide essential ecosystem services and buffer against climate impacts. Scientists indicate that every 0.1°C temperature increase poses greater risks for the planet, such as longer heatwaves, more intense storms and increased wildfires. The 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement was established due to strong evidence suggesting that the impacts will become significantly more extreme as the world approaches 2°C or higher. Some changes may become irreversible.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the consequences of 2°C global warming versus 1.5°C could include:

1. Sea-level rise would be 0.1m higher than at 1.5°C, exposing up to 10 million more people to more frequent flooding.
2. More than 99% of coral reefs would be lost, compared with 70-90% at 1.5°C.
3. Several hundred million more people may be exposed to climate-related risks and susceptible to poverty by 2050 than at 1.5°C.

• A Presidential Memorandum halts new offshore wind development in the United States and Territories until further notice. (Temporary Withdrawal Of All Areas On The Outer Continental Shelf From Offshore Wind Leasing And Review Of The Federal Government’s Leasing and Permitting Practices For Wind Projects)

Why it matters: Climate change is the biggest threat facing the ocean. To address it, we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions while still producing energy to meet our growing electricity needs, including for heating or cooling homes and cities. Offshore wind is one of the most effective and reliable solutions to meet Americans’ needs for clean, domestically produced energy. In fact, offshore wind alone has the potential to generate more than five times what the United States consumes in electricity each year. This clean ocean energy source has already led to billions of dollars of investments in American communities, supporting thousands of jobs along the coast and inland. 

As our country’s energy demand increases, offshore wind provides a clean alternative to support Americans without the harm of dirty offshore drilling. Offshore wind is being developed responsibly, avoiding impacts to marine life and ecosystems along our coasts. Ocean Conservancy will continue to collaborate with federal and state governments, scientists, industry, conservation advocates and others to safely switch to clean ocean energy to protect our ocean and planet, forever and for everyone.

• Executive Orders 14148 and 14154 purport to re-open offshore areas, including sensitive areas for wildlife, to oil and gas leasing. (Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions and Unleashing American Energy)

Why it matters: Former President Biden and other past presidents used their executive authority to place waters off the Pacific Coast, the Atlantic Coast and in the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean off-limits to new leasing for oil and gas development. This protection helps ensure these areas will not be subject to damaging oil spills that accompany oil and gas development. It also helps prevent harmful emissions that will worsen the impacts of climate change. President Trump’s Executive Orders 14148 and 14154 attempt to rescind these protections, paving the way for risky drilling that threatens the people and wildlife that depend on clean and healthy marine ecosystems and coasts. Not only that, in 2019, a federal court ruled that the president does not have the authority to rescind these protections.

• Executive Order 14154 freezes the payment of funds promised by two laws, the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). This Executive Order also includes numerous other provisions to promote fossil fuel development while ending government actions aimed to mitigate climate change. (Unleashing American Energy)

Why it matters: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)are the two most important recent laws to enable the U.S. to tackle climate change and allow for a responsible, rapid and just transition to clean energy. By freezing their funds, this Executive Order stops billions of dollars of energy, environmental and climate spending, including freezing money that had already been promised (“obligated”) but not yet paid (“disbursed”). The IIJA provides billions of dollars for improving regional ocean planning, addressing marine debris, investing in coastal resilience, supporting renewable energy, enhancing grid reliability and reducing emissions at ports. The IRA represents the single largest investment in climate change solutions in the history of the U.S. The law includes significant ocean-climate action, including critical tax incentives for offshore renewable energy that aim to level the playing field with fossil fuels, which have been subsidized in the U.S. for over a century. Revoking these promised funds risks our clean ocean energy transition.

At Ocean Conservancy, we are clear-eyed about what is needed to protect our ocean, and that includes moving away from dangerous fossil fuels toward 100% clean ocean energy. We will continue to work with partners domestically and abroad to meet our climate goals and protect the ocean we all depend on. Take action with Ocean Conservancy and join the movement to protect our ocean, forever and for everyone.

The post How Recent Executive Actions Impact Our Ocean and Climate appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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We Can Work Together to Halt Misinformation

Over the past few years, misinformation about climate change and our ocean has been spreading across news and social media, and many believe it will only get worse. In my work towards ocean climate solutions, I have seen how misinformation can delay climate action and impact policy decisions that affect our ocean. We need to tackle misinformation to push through vital climate solutions, and we can all be a part of this important work. 

What is misinformation? 

Misinformation is false or incorrect information—essentially, getting the facts wrong—that is spread to the public. Disinformation, a form of misinformation, is false or incorrect information spread deliberately by dishonest actors with the intent to create distrust in the public for their own gain. 

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Misinformation can take the form of disseminating completely false information or sharing only half the story or by conflating unrelated facts that make a story feel true. Misinformation is similar to gossip. It’s sticky. It’s easy to remember. And when it comes to the ocean, it’s often simpler than the truth.

How does misinformation impact our ocean? 

For us at an evidence-based organization, misinformation is very concerning. Ocean systems are dynamic, and it takes an enormous amount of data to understand them. This data can be complex and nuanced, making it difficult to communicate. Organizations like Ocean Conservancy directly study and work with other trusted institutions and agencies to analyze and interpret ocean data to ensure the public and its leaders understand what’s happening in our ocean and what is threatening its health. 

Yet, misinformation can affect our ability to protect the ocean and support our coastal communities. Decision-makers, whether at the local or federal level, need accurate information to make science-based decisions and create policies that will protect marine life and communities. If policymakers, and the people they represent and are accountable to, receive unfounded claims, our leaders may spend unnecessary taxpayer dollars or enact policies that are ineffective or even harmful to protecting the ocean. 

Take, for example, offshore wind. 

Offshore wind is a vital component of reducing our reliance on fossil fuels in order to clean up our air, land and ocean from pollution. It provides jobs and economic growth to coastal communities as well as clean, reliable energy.

Over the past year, anti-offshore wind groups, many of which are funded by fossil fuel interests, have been spreading misinformation about offshore wind. They have made false claims that offshore wind is to blame for recent whale deaths along the East Coast. These claims have been easy to make because offshore wind is a new concept by many who care about the ocean. Yet, there is no scientific evidence linking offshore wind to whale strandings. In fact, increases in whale deaths pre-date offshore wind development in the United States, and researchers have found definitive evidence that vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglement are the top drivers of these tragic strandings.  

This misinformation is distracting from true efforts to protect the ocean and marine life from the long-term consequences of climate change. With smart, science-based policy, we can build offshore wind responsibly—providing for communities while protecting wildlife. And we should continue to research and monitor this clean ocean-energy source to increase our understanding and avoid potential future impacts on marine mammals and other ocean wildlife.

What can I do to combat misinformation?

The good news is, we can fight back against misinformation. We invite you, as an ocean lover, to help us combat misinformation by using your savvy investigation skills to spot false claims and address misinformation. 

1. Be aware that misinformation is out there and growing. Sometimes all it takes is a watchful eye to catch false claims, especially in regard to hot-button issues like climate change and the ocean. In fact, once you start looking for misinformation, you may be surprised by how much is out there.
2. Read beyond the headline. Headlines are intended to pull in the reader, and they often do this by making a far-reaching claim meant to trigger an emotional response. But to really understand, you may need more details, which will only be found in the body of the article. Note that writers often will include the unfounded claims at the beginning of an article and only balance it out with what science actually tells us at the very end.
3. Look at the source of the information you are reading. When you see a startling negative claim about the ocean, look closely at who is making the claim. Does the person or group have a vested interest in hurting the public’s trust? Does the person or group have a trusted voice on the topic? Is the claim backed by data that was gathered with scientific rigor? If the source is questionable, it may be misinformation.
4. Verify the claim. If a claim about the ocean is made by a person or group you do not know, confirm it is true with a trusted organization. Check here on the Ocean Conservancy blog for information or sign up for updates, or look to these other trusted organizations that bring evidence-based science to policy such as the Marine Mammal Commission, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Natural Resources Defense Council and National Wildlife Federation.
5. Do not share the misinformation, and help others know it’s false as well. The biggest way you can fight back against ocean misinformation is to stop it in its tracks. If you find misinformation, do not share it. If you are confident enough to speak out about it, remember that correcting people is delicate. Try to meet people on common ground, such as our collective desire to protect the ocean, and offer trusted resources where they can learn more—like Ocean Conservancy.

If you want more resources on offshore wind in the United States, visit Ocean Conservancy’s clean ocean-energy hub today.

The post We Can Work Together to Halt Misinformation appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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Plastic Bottles & Lids Among Top 10 Most Commonly Found Items at Cleanups

This blog was written by Hannah De Frond. Hannah works with Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto Trash Team to manage the International Trash Trap Network (ITTN), a global network of local groups using trash traps to increase cleanup efforts, engage communities and inform upstream solutions. 

The use of single-use plastics has grown significantly over the last few decades. Many of the plastics thrown away daily—such as plastic packaging, takeout cups, container lids, plastic bottles and grocery bags—are used just once before they are discarded.

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Incredibly, 80% of global marine litter items are made of plastics, primarily food and beverage items such as plastic bottles, bottle caps and lids. These items are also among the top 10 items most commonly collected by Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC) volunteers around the world. So, what is it about plastic bottles, caps and lids that makes them so likely to enter the environment, and what can we do to prevent them from polluting our ocean?

Plastic bottles

Plastic bottles are the third most common type of plastic pollution collected throughout the nearly 40-year history of the ICC. From 1986-2023, ICC volunteers removed a staggering 24.3 million plastic bottles from coastlines around the world.

Ocean Conservancy estimates that 127 billion plastic bottles are used in the United States each year; due to their widespread use, they have become a major contributor to environmental pollution. Whole plastic bottles have even been found in the stomachs of an albatross and a sperm whale! As with all plastics, in the environment plastic bottles break up into microplastics that pose a threat to wildlife and potentially to human health as well. Most plastic bottles are made of a type of plastic called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Though this material on its own is widely recyclable, many PET bottle designs use colored plastics and labels that can prevent them from being sorted or recycled correctly. 

How can we tackle plastic bottle pollution?

Refillable beverage containers help reduce our reliance on single-use plastic bottles when we use them to transport tap water, fountain sodas, teas or  other beverages. This alleviates the need for single-use beverage bottles each time a refillable container is used and eliminates the possibility that the plastic bottle might go to landfill or be leaked into the environment as pollution.

Policies such as extended producer responsibility (making producers responsible for the waste generated by the use of their plastic products) and deposit-return systems (also known as “bottle bills”) can encourage the redesign and reuse of plastic bottles, while holding the producers of plastic bottles accountable to help pay for the full lifecycle of their materials.

Plastic bottle caps

Along with plastic bottles come plastic bottle caps. When bottle caps are thrown into recycling bins separately from bottles, they are too small to be properly sorted at recycling facilities and instead often end up getting sent to landfill. Bottle caps that end up in the environment can have a considerable impact on marine life. Ocean Conservancy has identified plastic bottle caps as one of the top five deadliest forms of marine pollutionto large species such as seabirds, sea turtles and marine mammals, largely due to the harms of ingesting them. Plastic bottle caps can also generate microplastics when they degrade in the environment, but also from the twisting action used to remove a cap from its plastic ring. When bottles are repeatedly opened and closed from drinking, it potentially increases human exposure to microplastics.

How can we tackle plastic bottle cap pollution?

As with plastic bottles, switching to reusable and refillable beverage containers will reduce the amount of plastic bottle caps that are used and ultimately thrown away. When single-use plastic bottles and caps are used, to ensure that both the plastic bottles and caps get recycled the caps must be screwed back on before they are disposed of for recycling. Policy measures can encourage this behaviour: For example, in Europe it is now legally required for all caps on plastic bottles to be attached or tethered to the bottles. Drinking from bottles with the caps still attached has required some getting used to for consumers, but this subtle change is significantly improving bottle cap recyclability. 

Plastic lids

Plastic lids like the ones that come with a cup of coffee, on a fountain beverage or on top of a yogurt container are some of the most commonly found single-use plastic items found on global beaches and waterways. Because of their size, plastic lids are too small or narrow for recycling sorting machines to manage. This means that instead, plastic lids often end up in landfills or burned in incinerators. In fact, plastic lids are the ninth most common type of plastic pollution collected in the history of Ocean Conservancy’s ICC. From 1986-2023, ICC volunteers have encountered and cleaned up more than 7.3 million plastic lids around the world. The United States alone uses more than 60 billion single-use plastic lids each year. That is enough for every adult in the United States to have a beverage with a plastic lid every day for eight straight months each year.

How can we tackle plastic lid pollution?

As with plastic bottles, the need for many plastic lids can be eliminated through investments in reuse or encouraging behavior changes to skip the lid or dispose of them properly. The most effective solution for lids is to transition to reusable cups and lids. Replacing one disposable coffee cup and lid every day for a year with a reusable mug would result in about 15 pounds of plastic waste prevented per person. Just imagine: If 100 million people did this—just under half of all adults in the United States—it would result in roughly 1.5 billion pounds of plastic debris prevented each year.

To reduce the impacts of plastic bottles, bottle caps, lids and other single-use plastics on our ocean we need to handle them better on land. We need to reduce the sheer volume of plastics produced and used, while holding plastic producers responsible for the harmful waste they have generated and continue to pump into the environment. Taking individual action and supporting local and national policies for the reduction, reuse, recycling and redesign of single-use plastic food and beverage items can help to keep our ocean plastic free. 

To learn more about the most common types of plastic pollution entering our ocean and what you can do to help, check out our reports on charting a course to plastic-free beaches.

The post Plastic Bottles & Lids Among Top 10 Most Commonly Found Items at Cleanups appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.

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