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Plastic pollution is already recognized as a global crisis. According to the United Nations (UN), trailing only the climate emergency, it is now the second largest environmental threat to the planet, with devastating impacts on all ecosystems, including marine biodiversity.
This is an alarming scenario in Brazil, according to the report Fragments of Destruction: impacts of plastic on Brazilian marine biodiversity, published by Oceana on October 17, 2024.
The report also reveals Brazil's responsibility in this plastic crisis: our country dumps approximately 1.3 million tons of this waste into the ocean annually (equivalent to the weight of 1.3 million small cars), representing about 8% of all plastic that reaches the seas globally. This places us in the shameful ranking of the top 10 global plastic polluters: we are 8th in the world and the leader in Latin America
The study further warns that microplastics are already part of the human diet, being found in 9 out of the 10 most globally consumed fish species. In Brazil, this contamination was also detected in Amazonian stream fish, where 98% of the analyzed fish contained plastic in their intestines and gills. All of this makes this contamination a matter of public health.
Researchers also demonstrate that when plastic is ingested by marine animals, it leads to malnutrition, decreased immunity, and even death, in addition to exposing organisms to harmful chemical compounds. Among green sea turtles, for example, every gram of plastic ingested increases the risk of wasting by 450%.
We hope that the grave data revealed in this publication will drive public policies to urgently reduce plastic in its many forms in the environment, and restore the health of our oceans and all marine biodiversity. To achieve this, it is fundamental that the National Congress approves Bill (PL) 2524/2022, which has been stalled in the Economic Affairs Committee (CAE) of the Senate since October of last year,' states Iran Magno, campaign analyst at Oceana.
Available only in Portuguese
THE RECYCLING DECEPTION
Plastics, made from oil and gas, are difficult to recycle. Proper recycling requires meticulous and very expensive sorting, as most of the thousands of chemically distinct varieties of plastic cannot be recycled together. After recycling, plastic degrades each time it is reused: this means it can generally only be reused once or twice, with significant risks of contamination and, therefore, a danger to health.
DID YOU KNOW?
Brazil recycles only 4%, yet imports waste for industry. The country purchased 102.8 thousand tons of solid waste in the first half of 2024 alone; spending on these materials reached US$ 146 million...
Authorized for publication by Poder 360’s Executive Board
Available only in Portuguese
