Update: OPC Releases Marine Debris Resolution Implementation Strategy>>

On February 8, 2007 in Santa Monica, the California Ocean Protection Council adopted a marine debris resolution that gives lawmakers a mandate to effectively tackle the increasing problem of marine debris.

In doing so, the OPC has adopted timetables for the reduction of plastic takeout food packaging, toxic plastic waste and expansion of the "CRV" Bottle Bill.  The OPC's resolution among other things, calls for:

• Expansion of the CRV to include plastics that comprise a large segment of marine debris.
• Reduction of single-use plastic packaging.
• Increased criminal enforcement of anti-littering and anti-pellet loss measures.
• Phasing out of plastic toxic packaging, including vinyl chloride.
• Increasing the profile of the marine debris issue by coordinating with Baja, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Hawaii, as well as increasing education efforts.

Read the complete resolution.

Watch a video on the problem of marine debris.

All of these goals have explicit calendar deadlines.

What CAW is Doing:

• CAW is sponsoring AB 904 (Feuer), the Plastic and Marine Debris Reduction Act.
• CAW is helping to coordinate a package of marine debris legislation that would address the OPC resolutions.
• Visit our Marine Debris and Plastics Litter and Waste Reduction Campaign pages.

Background Information:

Marine debris--in particular non-biodegradeable plastics--poses a serious and growing threat to the ocean and marine environment. The largest source of marine debris--up to 80%--is land-discharged plastic waste. Take-out food packaging, plastic bags, cigarette buts and other waste littered far inland is blown or washed through the storm drain system and flushed out to sea. The environmental affects of this deluge of plastic particles are only beginning to be understood. Levels of plastic in the marine environment have been increasing--in some areas by a factor of three. Some studies suggest that oceanic microplastics may now outweigh plankton by a factor of six! Nearly half of all marine bird species and nearly all marine turtle species have been affected by plastics--which can be mistaken as food and cause starvation.

The economic affects of plastic pollution in the marine environment is already being felt. California's $46 billion economy is highly dependent on the ocean and we are already spending perhaps as much as $1 billion annually on litter clean up.

The California Ocean Protection Council was created in 2004 by the Legislature and Governor to coordinate the efforts of the different agencies that deal with the protection of our marine ecosystem.

Additional Resources:

• Sign up for Email Updates on CAW's Plastic Waste Reduction Campaign
  
• Plastic Debris, Rivers to Sea: Video by the Algalita Marine Research Foundation highlighting the increasing problem of plastic marine debris.
• Ocean Protection Council
• California Coastal Commission
• ThankYouOcean.org
• US EPA Site on Marine Debris
• NOAA Site on Marine Debris
• Plastics Debris Rivers to Sea
• California Progress Report article on OPC