The Issue of Marine Plastic Pollution in Gros Morne ...
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• Gros Morne National Park is the second largest national park in Canada located in Western Newfoundland. This park is home to 8 communities. • For the year 2019/2020 approximately 238,071 people visited Gros Morne National Park (Lange, 2021). • Atlantic Healthy Oceans Initiative is an environmental conservation organization that completed beach clean-ups at the following locations in Gros Morne National Park: Rocky Harbour Cove, Wild Cove in Norris Point, and Back Cove in Cow Head. The Issue of Marine Plastic Pollution in Gros Morne National Park • To present an assessment of the sources, distribution, volume, and parent brands of plastic waste found along beaches in Gros Morne National Park • Examine the role of tourism in contributing to plastic pollution in the region • Explore the role of extended producer responsibility polices in efforts to address such pollution challenges • Examine current policies and make recommendations for change • Analyze raw data provided by Atlantic Healthy Oceans Initiative from the 2020 beach clean-ups. • Conduct a literature review to understand how tourism impacts the marine environment as well as how extended producer policy can lead to results in plastic reduction. • Examine the recycling procedure in Western Newfoundland • Assess current federal and provincial policies on reducing marine plastic production Background Purpose of Study Methods 1. Bauman, J., Brushett, R. (2020). Proposal to Ban Single-Use Plastics and Reduce Local Pollution. Internal Report Atlantic Healthy Oceans Initiative: unpublished. 2. Diggle, A., & Walker, T. (2020). Implementation of harmonized Extended Producer Responsibility strategies to incentivize recovery of single-use plastic packaging waste in Canada. Waste Management, 110, 20-23. 3. Lange, D. (2021, February 01). Gros Morne National Park: Visitor numbers Canada 2020. Retrieved from https ://www.statista.com/statistics/501326/visitors-to-gros-morne- national-park/ 4. Moschino, V., Schintu, M., Marrucci, A., Marras, B., Nesto, N., & Da Ros, L. (2017). An ecotoxicological approach to evaluate the effects of tourism impacts in the Marine Protected Area of La Maddalena (Sardinia, Italy). Marine pollution bulletin, 122(1-2), 306-315. References Results Figure 3. Most found producer brands and the amount of plastic found for each brand. Extended producer policy is an environmental protection policy that holds the producer responsible for the post consumer products disposal, through physical and financial means (Diggle & Walker, 2020). In 2009, A Canadian-wide Action Plan for extended producer responsibility was implemented to reduce plastic waste disposal and increase recycling support from producers. The plan is for producers to take care of the products they produced at the end of the products cycle. This way it eases stress on taxpayers and ensures environmental protection goals are met through better waste disposal practices. Extended Producer Policy Figure 2. Community Maps located inside Gros Morne National Park. Tourism Contribution to Plastic Pollution Gros Morne National Park hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and I had to wonder if the marine plastic pollution that was found from the beach clean-ups had any relation to the tourists. Through a study of a marine protected area in Italy, Moschino et. al (2017) discovered that tourism does create marine pollution through the travel to the area, litter left by tourists and biochemicals affecting local marine life. • There were 39, 397 items collected • All items collected weighed around 866.5lbs. • 78.5% of plastics found were microplastics • PepsiCo is the leading brand for plastic pollution on these beaches • PepsiCo is producing products made from plastic for multiple companies such as Pepsi, Lays, Ruffles, Aquafina, etc. • Along with plastic there was also 578lbs of rope collected Figure 5. Types of Plastic found from the 3 beach clean-ups. Recommendations Jackie Bauman and Rebecca Brushett (2020) presented a report of their findings from the clean-ups and proposed a bylaw to be implemented to ban single-use plastics in the town of Norris Point. The goal is to utilize sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics. The banning of single use plastics will cut down on marine plastic pollution and other nearby municipalities can propose the same or similar bylaws to reduce local pollution. Environment and Sustainability, Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Corner Brook, NL, Canada Figure 1. Image of Tablelands, Gros Morne National Park . Figure 4. Images of plastic items founds from the Wild Cove (right) and Back Cove (left) clean-ups Lexi Fequet - Undergraduate Student - Dr. Stephen Decker - Academic Supervisor - Rebecca Brushett - Executive Director, Atlantic Healthy Oceans Initiative Contact: Lexi Fequet, [email protected] Dr. Stephen Decker, [email protected] Rebecca Brushett. [email protected]
Transcript of The Issue of Marine Plastic Pollution in Gros Morne ...
• Gros Morne National Park is the second
largest national park in Canada located in
Western Newfoundland. This park is home
to 8 communities.
• For the year 2019/2020 approximately
238,071 people visited Gros Morne National
Park (Lange, 2021).
• Atlantic Healthy Oceans Initiative is an
environmental conservation organization
that completed beach clean-ups at the
following locations in Gros Morne National
Park: Rocky Harbour Cove, Wild Cove in
Norris Point, and Back Cove in Cow Head.
The Issue of Marine Plastic Pollution in Gros Morne National Park
• To present an assessment of the sources,
distribution, volume, and parent brands of
plastic waste found along beaches in Gros
Morne National Park
• Examine the role of tourism in contributing
to plastic pollution in the region
• Explore the role of extended producer
responsibility polices in efforts to address
such pollution challenges
• Examine current policies and make
recommendations for change
• Analyze raw data provided by Atlantic
Healthy Oceans Initiative from the 2020
beach clean-ups.
• Conduct a literature review to understand
how tourism impacts the marine
environment as well as how extended
producer policy can lead to results in plastic
reduction.
• Examine the recycling procedure in Western
Newfoundland
• Assess current federal and provincial
policies on reducing marine plastic
production
BackgroundPurpose of Study
Methods
1. Bauman, J., Brushett, R. (2020). Proposal to Ban Single-Use Plastics and Reduce Local
Pollution. Internal Report Atlantic Healthy Oceans Initiative: unpublished.
2. Diggle, A., & Walker, T. (2020). Implementation of harmonized Extended Producer
Responsibility strategies to incentivize recovery of single-use plastic packaging waste in
Canada. Waste Management, 110, 20-23.
3. Lange, D. (2021, February 01). Gros Morne National Park: Visitor numbers Canada
2020. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/501326/visitors-to-gros-morne-
national-park/
4. Moschino, V., Schintu, M., Marrucci, A., Marras, B., Nesto, N., & Da Ros, L. (2017). An
ecotoxicological approach to evaluate the effects of tourism impacts in the Marine
Protected Area of La Maddalena (Sardinia, Italy). Marine pollution bulletin, 122(1-2),
306-315.
References
Results
Figure 3. Most found producer brands and the amount of plastic found for each brand.
Extended producer policy is an environmental protection
policy that holds the producer responsible for the post
consumer products disposal, through physical and
financial means (Diggle & Walker, 2020).
In 2009, A Canadian-wide Action Plan for extended
producer responsibility was implemented to reduce plastic
waste disposal and increase recycling support from
producers. The plan is for producers to take care of the
products they produced at the end of the products cycle.
This way it eases stress on taxpayers and ensures
environmental protection goals are met through better
waste disposal practices.
Extended Producer Policy
Figure 2. Community Maps located inside Gros Morne National Park.
Tourism Contribution to Plastic Pollution
Gros Morne National Park hosts hundreds of thousands
of visitors each year and I had to wonder if the marine
plastic pollution that was found from the beach clean-ups
had any relation to the tourists. Through a study of a
marine protected area in Italy, Moschino et. al (2017)
discovered that tourism does create marine pollution
through the travel to the area, litter left by tourists and
biochemicals affecting local marine life.
• There were 39, 397 items collected
• All items collected weighed around 866.5lbs.
• 78.5% of plastics found were microplastics
• PepsiCo is the leading brand for plastic pollution on these
beaches
• PepsiCo is producing products made from plastic for
multiple companies such as Pepsi, Lays, Ruffles, Aquafina,
etc.
• Along with plastic there was also 578lbs of rope collected
Figure 5. Types of Plastic found from the 3 beach clean-ups.
Recommendations
Jackie Bauman and Rebecca Brushett (2020) presented a
report of their findings from the clean-ups and proposed a
bylaw to be implemented to ban single-use plastics in the
town of Norris Point. The goal is to utilize sustainable
alternatives to single-use plastics. The banning of single use
plastics will cut down on marine plastic pollution and other
nearby municipalities can propose the same or similar
bylaws to reduce local pollution.
Environment and Sustainability, Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland,
Corner Brook, NL, Canada
Figure 1. Image of Tablelands, Gros Morne National Park
. Figure 4. Images of plastic items founds from the Wild Cove (right) and Back
Cove (left) clean-ups
Lexi Fequet - Undergraduate Student - Dr. Stephen Decker - Academic Supervisor - Rebecca Brushett - Executive Director, Atlantic Healthy Oceans Initiative
Contact:
Lexi Fequet, [email protected]
Dr. Stephen Decker, [email protected]
Rebecca Brushett. [email protected]
