Europe is taking measures to tackle the challenges of plastic pellet pollution with the drafting of regulations that specifically set tough obligations for ocean-going vessels. The targeting of maritime transport is due to the fact that the sector accounts for around 38 percent of all pellets transported in the European Union (EU), with cases of pollution by seagoing vessels remaining high.
The European Council contends that plastic pellet losses to the environment are the third largest source of all unintentional microplastic releases, with 50,000 to 180,000 tonnes of pellets accidentally released into the environment annually. A huge amount is released during loading or unloading operations or due to leaky containers, with the impacts being detrimental to marine life, human health, and the environment said the EC members.
Research has shown that pellets comprise about 70 percent of the plastic eaten by seabirds, with small plastic particles being found in the stomachs of 63 of the world’s approximately 250 species of seabirds.
It has also been established that by weight, plastic pellets are the second largest direct source of microplastic marine pollution with billions of individual pellets entering the ocean every year.?This is due to both small and…