The tip of the «plasticberg»

What is floating there? In the following article, we highlight the fact that only an insignificant part of the plastic waste in the world’s oceans floats on the surface – and also tell how planctons wants to actively help improve the situation.

It is a sobering sight when the supposed jellyfish turns out to be a plastic bag – not only for tuna, but also for dolphins and turtles, for which the cnidarians are an important food source.

But we humans are also increasingly bothered by the unsightly phenomenon, which, however, is usually only noticed on the surface of the water near the coast. But the problem is much bigger and more complex, as the following figures show:

Around 8 million tonnes, or a truckload of plastic every minute, end up in the world’s oceans on average every year.

1.8 trillion pieces of plastic are estimated to make up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – the best-known plastic vortex in our oceans. According to researchers, there are four other giant rubbish patches: two in the Atlantic Ocean and one each in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

70 per cent of the plastic sinks into the depths, while only about 15 per cent is washed up on the beaches or floats on the ocean surface. According to estimates, around 80 million tonnes are already lying at the bottom – where they can hardly ever be recovered.

Together with our partner Tide Ocean, which processes plastic waste from Southeast Asia into high-quality granulate in Basel, planctons wants to make a real contribution to improving the situation. Be part of this change and wear handmade glasses made from 100% recycled ocean plastic. So that the next time you investigate the Murano lagoon, you will actually see a jellyfish swimming on the surface.

Sources: GEO, WWF, National Geographic, Planet Wissen