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BEYOND PLASTIC MED

A commitment for

a plastic-free Mediterranean

Everyone should be involved in the battle against plastic pollution.

How can we ensure that everyone gets involved?

BeMed promotes specific initiatives and supports a network of

Mediterranean stakeholders working against plastic pollution.

Plastic pollution in the sea is now one of
the most serious ecological problems af-
fecting the Ocean. Once dumped into the 8 to 10 million tonnes of plastic waste
sea, plastic can take up to 500 years to dumped in the Ocean each year. (1)
degrade. Each year, over 8 million tonnes
of plastic are dumped in the Ocean. By
drifting into midwater, plastic can strangle
or suffocate various animal species. When
exposed to the sun, it breaks into mi- 1 in 3 plastic waste items
croplastics which can be ingested by fish end up in the environment. (2)
and enter the food chain. It is therefore a
potential threat to human health.

Faced with this very alarming fact, the IN THE
Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, MEDITERRANEAN SEA
Surfrider Foundation Europe, the Tara Ex-
péditions Foundation, the MAVA Founda- over 1 million plastic
2 (4)
tion and the IUCN have decided to work particles per km which
together within the “Beyond Plastic Med” makes it the most polluted
(BeMed) task force to raise awareness sea worldwide.
and mobilise the public and stakeholders
around specific actions.

Between 100 and 1000 years
the number of years it takes for a plastic bottle
to decompose! (3)

Sources:
(1) Jambeck et al. 2015 - Science
(2) The New Plastics Economy - If we do not reduce our pollution,
Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation
(3) Marine Debris Program - National the mass of plastic waste will equal the mass of fish
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the Ocean by 2050. (2)
(4) Van Sebille et al. 2015 - Environmental
Research Letters