How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Ocean Cleanup from Plastics

Oceans cover 71% of our planet and contain a volume of plastic that has become so high that “in just a few years, we might end up with a pound of plastic for every three pounds of fish in the sea”.

By combining machine learning, satellite data, and drone technology, scientists are equipped to remotely detect plastic waste hotspots, quantify marine litter, and even detect tiny plastic pieces floating in oceans.

Marine Litter Workshop

On April 7, 2022, the AFD-funded Committing to Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific (SWAP) Project implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) hosted a Marine Litter Workshop with participation from Sustainable Coastlines, Ocean Conservancy and the Vanuatu Environmental Science Society.

Many of you attended this workshop, and we thank you for that as well as your active participation in the discussions and feedback provided.
For people who were unable to attend the workshop or those who wish to review it, please find the link below.

Thanks Julie Pillet for sharing!

Marine environment at risk as chemicals pollution grows

“Thousands of new chemicals are coming onto the market every year, in addition to the 350,000 or so identified chemicals and mixtures of chemicals already in existence, most of which we know very little about in terms of their toxicity and harmfulness to the environment or human health.

Many of these chemicals - used in products from household cleaning products to sunscreen - are leaching into the environment and into the sea, and damaging marine life and ecosystems" says Charles Goddard, editorial director at Economist Impact.

How are communities in SIDS reducing coastal pollution?

Across the world, coastal regions and ecosystems are facing diverse environmental pressures from overexploitation, soil erosion, urban waste discharge and more. In the Pacific region, the problem is even more severe given the reliance of countries on healthy ocean ecosystems and services.

Watch this video by the No Pelesitiki Campaign in Tonga!

Call for Abstract & Poster Proposals for the 7th International Marine Debris Conference

Selected abstracts will be offered a speaking time within the Technical Session to which the abstract is submitted, while successful poster proposals will be offered a space at the conference’s poster event. For more information, please review the Abstracts & Posters page on the 7IMDC website.

Academics, NGOs and passionate individuals from SIDS countries are warmly invited to apply and share their knowledge and experiences on how to tackle marine debris.

Deadline: Friday 29th of April

NEWS - New Partnership to Help End Plastic Waste in Samoa

A new partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and CRDC Global, a Costa Rica-based company, will address the growing problem of plastic pollution in Samoa. The partnership aims to bring an end-to-end circular solution for plastic waste, focusing on education and the collection, up-cycling, and repurposing of plastic waste into building products.

In Africa we do not deal with macro plastics but with a whole contaminated single used plastics that leaves our homes, places of work or people literally throw them at any given opportunity. The way forward to fight plastic pollution to have a behaviour and attitude change at an individual level and pass the same to the family, community and sooner change the entire nation and globe. The plastic taps have to be closed to realise this dream come true.