I just realize myself that I am really into solid waste recycling particularly PLASTIC! i got inspiration since I saw a video "Message from waves" ,telling story about PLASTIC BAGS in Hawaii, last year 2008. Then I decided to design my master thesis's topic as BEACH LITTER MANAGEMENT: PLASTIC in Ko Chang, Trat, Thailand.
First……………I anticipate that I would find FISHING nets and fishing related item such as rope, floating foam etc. Fishing related item was not major items as I expected.
Surprise!!! the result I found both amazed and depressed me. It showed that 63% of litter found on beach was PLASTICs
which about 40% come in form of food and drink- related item!!! Where were these food and drink-related come from? It possibly comes from river streams nearby, blown from inland dumping sites, from ships at seas, transported from nearby coastline by waves, and Beach-goers. My study also gave me SOURCEs of those plastic which came from Beach recreational activities (referring to beach goers)…………..I also found in most of scientific research in UK, US, Indonesia, japan, etc. saying that BEACH RECREATIONAL AND VISITORS (referring to Beach-goers) were main litter distributors in their studied sites (tourism spots). What I can interpret that the source of litter in Ko Chang, Trat is beachgoers and activities on beaches. Although Ko Chang is Marine National Park which any activities in the area need to be controlled under National Park Acts……but it is not like it should be!!
First time I read environmental impacts of Plastics, I was quite shocked. Plastic is high persistent last for 100 up to 1,000 years. Many of birds and marine mammal (dolphin, whale, seal, etc.) mistaken plastic because plastics look alike jelly fish. After their tummy filled with plastics (that last longer than any animal life), no more room for food to go in …..then finally they STARVE TO DEATH. Besides causing starvation to death, plastics article can cause entanglement which cause serious injure to those marine mammals. I can feel their pains………..even I was not them.
What do you feel about this result? Nothing ……….interesting……………or I am enthusiastic to take actions. My result cannot solve problems of beach litter by itself………….but just give a picture of what is happening and WHO can HELP!!!
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