The Coalition of Coastal Cities to Combat Marine Litter

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Problem of marine litter-

• About 80 per cent of marine litter comes from land-based mismanagement of solid waste that reaches the ocean bed through various land-to-sea pathways.
• The remaining 20 per cent is contributed by coastal settlements, according to global research estimates.
• Plastic accounts for 90 per cent of all the waste that ends up in the marine ecosystem.
• Of the 460 million tonnes (MT) of global plastic production, nearly 353 MT comes back as plastic waste 8 MT (2.26 per cent) of which is leaked into the marine ecosystem, Narain pointed out.
• The extent of the litter in South Asian seas is a matter of particular concern. Estimates indicates that about 15,434 tonnes of plastic waste is leaked into South Asian seas everyday, accounting for a colossal 5.6 MT of plastic waste a year. 
• In India, the estimated extent of marine litter is about 0.98 metric tonnes of trash per km stretch of the coastline, with a concentration of 0.012 kg per square metre.
• Tributaries of major Indian rivers carry around 15-20 per cent of plastic waste into the marine environment.
• One of the key challenges faced by the global marine ecosystem is abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG). 
• A large part of ALDFG is lost in deep seas, making it difficult to recover. India loses 15,276 tonnes of gillnets.

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