142
acteristics of this are the following (Wurpel et al.
2011).
1. The production of non-degradable, disposable
plastic packaging materials and equipment
has to be banished.
2. Produced amounts have to be reduced in the
case of other plastics as well.
3. The production process has to be reconsidered
in order to make the product reusable or recyclable or if these cannot be solved it should be
degradable (compostable).
4. Reusable products have to be returned into
trade (e.g. refilling bottles) and consumers can
use them permanently in their household as
well.
5. If the product will be waste after it was used
its collection (selective collection) and the
production of new products using them has to
be organised as well.
6. Degradable plastics can be used for making
compost that can be used in agriculture.
Ten Brink et al. (2016) gives a detailed and
well-founded programme for the prevention of
marine plastic pollution based also on recycling.
Regarding more durable plastic goods the system of deposits is proved to be effective on the
consumer side making consumers interested in not
throwing plastic compartments and packaging
material away. The recommendation of the
European Committee in 2014 contained the reduction of the use of plastic bags by 80% compared to
the level in 2010 by 2019 and to cut the prices of
degradable and compostable bags by 50%.
UNEP initiated a global Clean Seas Campaign
in 2018 to reduce the plastic pollution of the
ocean. Even the topic of the World Environment
Day (fourth June) in 2018 was “Beat Plastic
Pollution”. Such campaigns are very useful in
drawing attention to the extent of the problem.
The global recycling of plastic waste was set
back when China closed its borders in 2017 not
letting plastics in for recycling. Since China
received 7.3 million tonnes of plastic waste in
2016, the effects of the measure on the global sea
pollution cannot be estimated.
Last but not least the effectiveness of environmental education has to be increased globally
because the environmental awareness of consumers could be effective even if the regulations are
ineffective.
The global oil pollution of the ocean decreased
significantly in recent years. According to the
estimation of GESAMP (Joint Group of Experts
on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental
Protection) 3.2 million tonnes of oil spilled into
the ocean annually in 1981 while this was reduced
to 1.25 million tonnes annually between 1988
and 1997. This decrease can be explained primarily by two facts: stricter international conventions
on the one hand, and on the other hand, the technical development of ships (especially oil tankers). The first important agreement was reached
in London in 1973: International Convention on
Oil Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). Its report
in 1978 contains important modifications and its
fundamental goal is to eliminate oil, chemical
and other pollutions in the ocean from ships.
In 1990 the International Convention on Oil
Pollution
Preparedness,
Response
and
Cooperation was aimed at preventing oil
pollution.
Most vulnerable are closed and busy marginal
seas like the Mediterranean Sea, Baltic Sea, Red
Sea and Persian Gulf.
Traffic on water contaminates seas and oceans
during “normal operation” as well. High performance ship engines use diesel fuel. Oil gets into
the sea when fuel tanks are filled and also during
the operation of diesel engines (untightness).
Highest volume of oil pollution, however, is
caused (ignoring accidents) by the release of the
ballast water of tanker ships. Some oil also enters
the sea when oil is pumped out of ships in ports.
Emptied tankers are not permitted to move (as
serious control problems could arise); therefore,
their tanks are filled with ballast water for better
control. Unfortunately some oil is always left in
the huge tanks that mixes with the ballast water
and this oily water is released into the sea before
the tanks are refilled with oil again. The volume
of oil entering the sea in this way was estimated
at least 2 million tonnes annually in the 1980s.
Since 2004 an international convention regulates the control and treatment of the ballast water
of ships and thus also the amount of ballast water
released into the sea which is significantly smaller
4 Changes on Earth as a Result of Interaction Between the Society and Nature
acteristics of this are the following (Wurpel et al.
2011).
1. The production of non-degradable, disposable
plastic packaging materials and equipment
has to be banished.
2. Produced amounts have to be reduced in the
case of other plastics as well.
3. The production process has to be reconsidered
in order to make the product reusable or recyclable or if these cannot be solved it should be
degradable (compostable).
4. Reusable products have to be returned into
trade (e.g. refilling bottles) and consumers can
use them permanently in their household as
well.
5. If the product will be waste after it was used
its collection (selective collection) and the
production of new products using them has to
be organised as well.
6. Degradable plastics can be used for making
compost that can be used in agriculture.
Ten Brink et al. (2016) gives a detailed and
well-founded programme for the prevention of
marine plastic pollution based also on recycling.
Regarding more durable plastic goods the system of deposits is proved to be effective on the
consumer side making consumers interested in not
throwing plastic compartments and packaging
material away. The recommendation of the
European Committee in 2014 contained the reduction of the use of plastic bags by 80% compared to
the level in 2010 by 2019 and to cut the prices of
degradable and compostable bags by 50%.
UNEP initiated a global Clean Seas Campaign
in 2018 to reduce the plastic pollution of the
ocean. Even the topic of the World Environment
Day (fourth June) in 2018 was “Beat Plastic
Pollution”. Such campaigns are very useful in
drawing attention to the extent of the problem.
The global recycling of plastic waste was set
back when China closed its borders in 2017 not
letting plastics in for recycling. Since China
received 7.3 million tonnes of plastic waste in
2016, the effects of the measure on the global sea
pollution cannot be estimated.
Last but not least the effectiveness of environmental education has to be increased globally
because the environmental awareness of consumers could be effective even if the regulations are
ineffective.
The global oil pollution of the ocean decreased
significantly in recent years. According to the
estimation of GESAMP (Joint Group of Experts
on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental
Protection) 3.2 million tonnes of oil spilled into
the ocean annually in 1981 while this was reduced
to 1.25 million tonnes annually between 1988
and 1997. This decrease can be explained primarily by two facts: stricter international conventions
on the one hand, and on the other hand, the technical development of ships (especially oil tankers). The first important agreement was reached
in London in 1973: International Convention on
Oil Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). Its report
in 1978 contains important modifications and its
fundamental goal is to eliminate oil, chemical
and other pollutions in the ocean from ships.
In 1990 the International Convention on Oil
Pollution
Preparedness,
Response
and
Cooperation was aimed at preventing oil
pollution.
Most vulnerable are closed and busy marginal
seas like the Mediterranean Sea, Baltic Sea, Red
Sea and Persian Gulf.
Traffic on water contaminates seas and oceans
during “normal operation” as well. High performance ship engines use diesel fuel. Oil gets into
the sea when fuel tanks are filled and also during
the operation of diesel engines (untightness).
Highest volume of oil pollution, however, is
caused (ignoring accidents) by the release of the
ballast water of tanker ships. Some oil also enters
the sea when oil is pumped out of ships in ports.
Emptied tankers are not permitted to move (as
serious control problems could arise); therefore,
their tanks are filled with ballast water for better
control. Unfortunately some oil is always left in
the huge tanks that mixes with the ballast water
and this oily water is released into the sea before
the tanks are refilled with oil again. The volume
of oil entering the sea in this way was estimated
at least 2 million tonnes annually in the 1980s.
Since 2004 an international convention regulates the control and treatment of the ballast water
of ships and thus also the amount of ballast water
released into the sea which is significantly smaller
4 Changes on Earth as a Result of Interaction Between the Society and Nature