25 Apr 2017

Dr Emma Sheehan, from Plymouth University Marine Institute and her co-workers have published a paper on sea fans; key points include: Protected Pink Sea Fans are mass stranding each winter entangled in marine debris. The marine debris comprises mostly fishing gear and some domestic litter. Evidence for ghost fishing causing the stranded “sea fangles” is […]

14 Apr 2017

Greenpeace ‘Monday 10th April, 2017. London – This morning Greenpeace activists have installed a 2.5 tonne ocean plastic sculpture on the doorstep of Coca-Cola’s London HQ, in protest at the company’s role in ocean plastic pollution.  The artwork, Plasticide, was created by renowned underwater sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor and features seabirds regurgitating plastic amidst a family beach picnic. […]

11 Apr 2017

Defra published litter strategy Litter louts could be hit with £150 fines as part of ambitious new plans to tackle rubbish in England. Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom unveiled the Government’s first Litter Strategy for England to reduce the near £800m burden to the taxpayer of clean-up costs. Under the new measures, the most serious litterers could be […]

06 Apr 2017

RIMMEL welcomes interested parties to join the Riverine Litter Observation Network for quantification of floating macro litter entering the sea. The project will provide a monitoring protocol for observation of floating litter along with a Tablet Computer Application based on MSFD litter category list (software developed by JRC). The provided tools will allow harmonization of […]

13 Mar 2017

The scale of programmes and projects focusing on plastics is growing hugely. Four articles focusing on plastic and in particular plastic bottles – at different scales – Global (UNEP) to London (One bottle less) to Coca Cola to Scottish Deposit return schemes. Signup for the 38 degrees petition on deposit return schemes (211k/300K needed) 1.  […]

16 Feb 2017

Scientists in Norway found more than 30 plastic bags and other plastic waste inside the stomach of a Cuvier’s beaked whale stranded off the coast. Wardens had put the whale down after realising it wasn’t going to live, and had clearly consumed a large amount of non-biodegradable waste. Despite the huge volume of plastic clogging […]

03 Jan 2017

Two notes: Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland have launched a consultation today. We are seeking views on the UK’s proposed ban on the manufacture and sale of cosmetics and personal care products containing microbeads which may harm the marine environment. The […]

21 Mar 2016

‘The Environmental Audit Committee launches an inquiry into the environmental impact of microplastics. Key issues include: the scale, sources and consequences of microplastic pollution in the ocean; strategies for dealing with the problem; and the state of our knowledge on the issue. Inquiry: Environmental impact of microplastics Environmental Audit Committee Microplastics come from a variety of domestic and industrial […]