Promising Drop in Coastal Plastic Pollution

Recent research reveals a significant decrease in plastic pollution along Australia’s coast.

“I’m hearing and seeing so much more of what we call local custondianship. People are invested in their communities, they’re looking after the environment, people are picking up trash and litter and debris when and where they find it. And I think that’s coming from increased awareness about the issue and the problems and the harm caused by plastic pollution in the environment,” says Dr. Hardesty.

Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, recently published results from its coastal habitats survey, which found a 39% decrease in coastal litter around the continent. This positive trend is partly thanks to various recycling schemes and educational programs that aim to inform the public about their role in keeping planet Earth clean. However, according to one of the researchers, Dr Britta Denise Hardesty, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done, as there was about one piece of trash for every four or five steps taken along the beach – still, a decrease from the amount found in a similar study ten years ago. The group of researchers is hopeful that the study will be used as a tool to help implement future environmental policies, eventually helping to achieve an even cleaner Australian coast.