Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Life
  • Health
  • Environment
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion
  • Science
  • Religion
  • History
  • Feature
  • Expat Corner

1,000 shipping containers of plastic could pollute Mediterranean by 2040

by French Press Agency - AFP

MADRID Oct 28, 2020 - 11:20 am GMT+3
Edited By Yasemin Nicola Sakay
A plastic bottle floats in the Mediterranean Sea, at Zikim beach near the southern city of Ashkelon, Israel, Feb. 10, 2019. (REUTERS Photo)
A plastic bottle floats in the Mediterranean Sea, at Zikim beach near the southern city of Ashkelon, Israel, Feb. 10, 2019. (REUTERS Photo)
by French Press Agency - AFP Oct 28, 2020 11:20 am
Edited By Yasemin Nicola Sakay
RECOMMENDED
An aerial view of a Maldives resort. (Photo by Funda Karayel)

Paradise at risk: Maldives in danger of disappearing due to climate change

climate-change

Nearly 230,000 tons of plastic are dumped into the Mediterranean Sea every year, a figure which could more than double by 2040 unless "ambitious" steps are taken, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature ( IUCN) says.

Egypt, Italy and Turkey are the countries that release the most plastic into the sea, mainly due to large coastal populations and huge amounts of "mismanaged waste," an IUCN report found. But on a per-capita basis Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia have the highest levels of plastic waste leakage into the Mediterranean.

The report, called "Mare Plasticum: The Mediterranean," estimates that over a million tons of plastic have already accumulated in the Mediterranean Sea.

"An estimated 229,000 tons of plastic – equivalent to over 500 shipping containers – are leaking into the Mediterranean Sea every year," said the report, blaming "mismanaged waste" for 94% of the total plastic leakage.

Under a "business as usual" scenario, this figure will reach 500,000 tons per year by 2040, which is why "ambitious interventions beyond current commitments will be required to reduce the flow of plastic into the sea."

Divers attach a lifting bag to a ghost fishing net on the seabed in the village of Stratoni near Halkidiki, Greece, May 18, 2019. (Areti Kominou/Ghost Fishing Greece/Handout via REUTERS)
Plastic, wood and paper waste floating in the water along a beach, Sete, France, July 24, 2020. (via REUTERS)

Minna Epps, the director of the IUCN's marine program, warned that "plastic pollution can cause long-term damage to terrestrial and marine ecosystems and biodiversity."

"Marine animals can get entangled or swallow plastic waste and ultimately end up dying from exhaustion and starvation," he added. This was recently reflected in the INDICIT project conducted by Turkey, Spain, Tunisia, Greece and four other countries, which found that 60% of the digestive systems of dead or injured loggerhead sea turtles had traces of plastic.

Over 50,000 tons of plastic leakage into the Mediterranean could be avoided each year if waste management was improved in the top 100 contributing cities alone, the report said.

A ban on plastic bags in the Mediterranean Sea basin region would further reduce plastic leakage into the sea by another 50,000 tons per year.

"Governments, private sector, research institutions and other industries and consumers need to work collaboratively to redesign processes and supply chains, invest in innovation and adopt sustainable consumption patterns and improved waste management practices to close the plastic tap," said Antonio Troya, head of the IUCN Center for Mediterranean Cooperation which is based in Malaga, southern Spain.

RECOMMENDED
An aerial view of a Maldives resort. (Photo by Funda Karayel)

Paradise at risk: Maldives in danger of disappearing due to climate change

climate-change
  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    environment plastic waste mediterranean pollution nature news
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    A general view of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum in Purple Mountai, Nanjing, China. (Photo courtesy by Ahmet Faruk Işık)

    Seed of modern Turkish diplomacy in China: Nanjing city

    Nanjing
    A fragment of the statue of Pan, the Greek god of shepherds and flocks in Greek mythology, discovered in Saraçhane Archaeology Park, Istanbul, Türkiye, June 1, 2023. (DHA Photo)

    Excavations in Istanbul unearth statue of Greek deity Pan

    pan

    'Ulysses of Istanbul': Celebrating James Joyce's masterpiece

    james-joyce

    Ancient Roman garrison unearthed at Zerzevan Castle in Türkiye

    ZERZEVAN-CASTLE
    No Image
    Partial solar eclipse mesmerizes millions across world
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021