The Mediterranean's Plastic Problem: An Urgent Marine Crisis

The Mediterranean Sea is the world's sixth-largest accumulation zone for marine plastic waste, holding about 7% of the world's microplastics despite containing just 1% of its water. The sea receives plastic waste from coastal areas and rivers, with a 2019 report estimating that 70% of plastic pollution from water-based sources comes from Egypt, Turkey, and Italy. The Mediterranean is extremely biodiverse, so the presence of an estimated 229,000 tonnes of plastic leaking into the sea annually is a significant concern for the conservation of marine ecosystems.

The Mediterranean is the sixth greatest accumulation zone for marine litter

The Mediterranean Sea is the sixth greatest accumulation zone for marine litter. It holds just 1% of the world's waters but concentrates 7% of all global microplastics. As a semi-enclosed sea, the Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution. The Mediterranean receives waste from coastal areas and rivers. For example, the Nile River brought around 200 tonnes of plastic waste into the Mediterranean annually as of 2017.

The Mediterranean is extremely biodiverse, so protecting its ecosystem is paramount. Plastic pollution affects all levels of marine biodiversity, with micro- and macroplastic particles found at the sea surface, on beaches, the seafloor, and within the bodies of big and small marine animals. Plastic pollution and discarded maritime and fishing materials accounted for 35% of seabird deaths and injuries, 27% of fish deaths and injuries, and 13% of marine mammal deaths and injuries among other species in the Mediterranean.

A study from 2020 discovered two types of plastic debris in the Mediterranean seabed for the first time: plastic rust and pyroplastics. Plastic rust had previously been found in the Atlantic Ocean. This discovery revealed that the contamination by plastic debris may be more widespread than previously expected. Another study from the same year found the highest concentration ever recorded of microplastics on the sea floor.

The Mediterranean's densely populated coastlines, fishing, shipping, tourism, and limited outflow of surface water to the Atlantic also contribute to its high levels of plastic pollution. Countries in the Mediterranean region produce 10% of all plastic goods, making the region the fourth-largest producer of plastic goods.

The Mediterranean receives waste from coastal areas and rivers

The Mediterranean Sea is considered a hotspot for plastic pollution, with the sea holding only 1% of the world's waters but concentrating 7% of all global microplastics. The Mediterranean receives waste from coastal areas and rivers, with about half of the plastic input per year originating from each. The Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to plastics as a semi-enclosed sea, with limited outflow circulation. This means that waste that enters from coastlines tends to remain and accumulate within the Mediterranean.

The primary land-based sources of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean are tourism activities, a large coastal population, inefficient waste management, unsustainable consumption patterns, and an increase in plastic usage. The Mediterranean countries are the number one tourism destination worldwide, and waste management facilities frequently experience overload. Most of the waste produced is dumped into unprotected landfills and ends up in the Mediterranean Sea through stormwater runoffs, wind currents, rivers, and wastewater streams. Rivers carry 12% of the waste found in the Mediterranean Sea, while 9% comes from maritime activities. The Nile River, for example, brought around 200 tonnes of plastic waste into the Mediterranean yearly as of 2017.

The Mediterranean region produces 10% of all plastic goods, making the region the fourth-largest producer of plastic goods. France is the largest producer of plastic waste in the region, generating 4.5 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2016, or roughly 66.6 kg per person. Egypt, Turkey, and Italy account for two-thirds of the mismanaged waste in the Mediterranean.

The impact of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean is widespread, affecting marine ecosystems, human health, and the blue economy of the area. Plastic debris entangles and is ingested by marine organisms, acts as a vector for invasive species, and absorbs persistent organic pollutants. It causes socioeconomic damage, harming fishing, navigation, and tourism. Plastic pollution in the Mediterranean has been found to account for 35% of seabird deaths and injuries, 27% of fish deaths and injuries, and 13% of marine mammal deaths and injuries.

The Nile River brought around 200 tonnes of plastic waste into the Mediterranean yearly as of 2017

The Mediterranean Sea is considered a hotspot for plastic pollution, with the sea holding about 1% of the world's waters but concentrating around 7% of all global microplastics. The Mediterranean is the sixth greatest accumulation zone for marine litter. The sea receives waste from coastal areas and rivers. The Nile River, for instance, brought about 200 tonnes of plastic waste into the Mediterranean annually as of 2017.

The Nile River is the longest river in the world, travelling 6,695 kilometres from Lake Victoria in Uganda, through South Sudan, Sudan, and Ethiopia to the Mediterranean Sea via Egypt. The river collects plastic waste from two small rivers in western Uganda: Mpanga and Rwizi. These two rivers carry plastic waste to lakes that drain into the Nile River. Once in the Nile, this plastic debris may flow into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile Basin water resources atlas identifies Lake Victoria, Kyoga, Edward, Albert, and Tana as the major natural lakes of the Nile.

The Mediterranean basin’s annual plastic waste input is estimated at 100,000 tons, with up to 50% coming from land-based sources, 30% from river channels, including the Nile, and 20% from maritime transportation. A study by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Germany found that 95% of the plastic waste transported by rivers into oceans and seas comes from ten rivers, including the Nile.

The plastic waste in the Mediterranean Sea has various sources, including tourism activities, a large population on the coasts, inefficient waste management, unsustainable consumption patterns, and an increase in plastic usage. The countries in the Mediterranean region produce 10% of all plastic goods, making the region the fourth-largest producer of plastic goods. The plastic waste kills wildlife, contaminates food chains, and is ingested by people through food and drinking water. It also impacts marine biodiversity through the ingestion, suffocation, and entanglement of marine species.

The Mediterranean is home to around 480 million people who produce the highest amount of solid municipal waste per capita

The Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by 22 countries and territories, is one of the most heavily polluted regions in the world. The coastal zone of the Mediterranean basin is home to around 480 million people, who produce the highest amount of solid municipal waste per capita, ranging from 208 to 760 kg per year. This waste is not properly disposed of, with only 72% being discarded in controlled landfills, incinerators, or recycling plants. The remaining 28% ends up in uncontrolled landfills or is dumped illegally, contributing to the Mediterranean's waste problem.

The Mediterranean countries produce 10% of all plastic goods, making the region the fourth-largest producer of plastic goods. This high plastic consumption and waste generation have severe consequences for the region. The Mediterranean Sea, which holds only 1% of the world's waters, contains a disproportionate amount of plastic pollution, with 7% of the world's microplastics. This is due to the semi-enclosed nature of the sea, which makes it particularly vulnerable to plastic accumulation.

The impact of this plastic pollution is far-reaching. Marine biodiversity suffers greatly, with plastic waste causing the ingestion, suffocation, and entanglement of marine species. Seabird deaths and injuries, fish deaths and injuries, and marine mammal deaths and injuries are all attributed to plastic pollution and discarded maritime materials. The deep sea acts as a sink for this plastic pollution, with microplastics accumulating in deep-sea sediments and threatening Mediterranean species, ecosystems, and human health.

The economic impact is also significant. The reduction in recreational opportunities, loss of aesthetic value, and decline in non-use value have indirect economic effects, leading to losses in the tourism, fishing, and maritime industries. The WWF estimates these economic losses to be at least €641 million per year. Additionally, plastic pollution harms the quality of life for people in the region, as it contaminates food chains and drinking water sources.

The Mediterranean's plastic pollution problem is a pressing issue that requires urgent attention. With the region's population projected to reach 572 million by 2030, there is a growing need to address waste management practices and reduce plastic consumption to mitigate the environmental and socioeconomic consequences of plastic pollution.

Initiatives are being implemented to reduce and end the problem of marine plastics pollution in the Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is one of the seas most affected by marine plastic pollution. It is estimated that 229,000 tonnes of plastic leak into the Mediterranean Sea every year, threatening Mediterranean species, ecosystems and human health. The Mediterranean is the sixth greatest accumulation zone for marine litter, holding only 1% of the world's waters but concentrating 7% of all global microplastics.

National, regional, and international actors, along with civil society and private industries, are trying to address the problem of plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea with initiatives, policies, and campaigns. The Barcelona Convention, adopted in 1995, was the first regional treaty aiming to reduce pollution, including marine plastic pollution, in the Mediterranean region. The European Union and all countries with a Mediterranean shoreline are parties to the Convention and its related protocols.

The IUCN is also working to address plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. They have identified macro, micro, and nano plastics as threats to Mediterranean species, ecosystems, and human health. IUCN's work includes conducting research, building partnerships, and developing projects in the region.

Other initiatives focusing on Marine Protected Areas and plastic pollution in the Mediterranean region are also being developed. Programmes and strategies at the EU level, such as the EU Green Deal and the Zero Pollution Action Plan, aim to reduce waste, marine plastic pollution, and the dispersal of microplastics.

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