Many of you will have heard about ‘the Great Pacific Garbage Patch’. In the North Pacific a complex system of currents has resulted in an ‘island’ twice the size of Texas, floating in the North Pacific Gyre. This extraordinary manmade marine feature has attracted considerable attention over the last few years, and while the island itself is reason enough to take action, there are growing concerns over more subtle effects on marine ecosystems that the huge mass of debris is having.
Much of the island is made up of plastics – about 80% of which comes from land based sources with the remaining 20% being discarded from ships. This plastic is subjected to complete exposure to the sun and the corrosive effects of the salt water, causing it to break down into sometimes microscopic pellets which can be ingested by marine animals.
The problems are compounded by the presence of Bisphenol A (BPA) which is a major component of the most common form of polycarbonate plastic. 8 billion lbs of BPA is used annually in the production of plastics, despite the controversy surrounding its use. In many countries – including the USA, the UK and Canada – BPA has been banned in various forms (in the manufacture of baby bottles for example). The compound has been connected with a variety of health concerns in humans including numerous neurological issues, carcinogenesis, disruption of reproductive systems and behavioural changes.
When plastics containing BPA are subjected to certain conditions they leach this chemical into the environment as has been found to be happening in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The chemical is believed to have dramatic impact on marine environments with a 2010 study indicating that BPA has ‘feminisation’ effects. Ecosystems subjected to high concentrations of BPA in their environment were found to have almost 5 times more females to males than in normal conditions. A 2008 film by VBS.TV is available to watch here, outlining more of the impacts and the scale of the problem.
The issue of BPA use is one that will become more and more pressing on companies. Their role in this narrative is not so much polluter but producer. Alternatives to the compound are available, albeit at a higher cost, and in the US, where the issue has gained considerable public attention, many companies, including Nestle have committed to remove BPA from all of their products by the end of this year. Other companies are using their ‘BPA-free’ policy as a USP for their products.
With the Great Pacific Garbage Patch helping to reignite the debate on BPA this will become one of the hot-topics over the next few years. Any company willing to end its use of BPA will surely reap the rewards from consumers concerned about their own health as well as that of the world’s marine ecosystems. Step right up all environmental leaders of the future.