A sperm whale found on Scottish shores in 2018 had 100 kg of plastic in its stomach. Sea turtles mistake floating plastic bags for jellyfish — their preferred prey. Seabirds feed plastic fragments to their chicks, filling small stomachs with material that provides zero nutrition and blocks digestive systems.
The Scale of the Problem
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation projects that, without intervention, there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050, measured by weight. Currently, an estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic enter marine environments annually — equivalent to a rubbish truck emptying into the sea every minute.
Microplastics: The Invisible Threat
Larger plastic items break down into microplastics — fragments smaller than 5 mm — through UV degradation and wave action. These microplastics enter the food chain at the plankton level and concentrate as they move up through zooplankton, small fish, larger predators and, ultimately, humans.
What Campaigners Are Demanding
The OARM supports the Global Plastics Treaty, currently in negotiation at the UN. Key demands include binding targets for plastic production reduction, extended producer responsibility, and a global fund for cleanup in developing nations most affected by plastic pollution.