To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean?

Jack Owen 1541

“Is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic
pollution in the ocean?”

Introduction

Plastics, or rather the synthetic polymers associated with the term, have from their early
development in the 19th century1 grown in popularity into the 20 and 21st century in which
the plastics became more prominent in daily living in fashion, domestic uses and toys,
resulting in the global plastic production increasing exponentially from 1950 to 20192,
producing 359 million tons of plastic according to researcher M. Garside. This is as
expected, since plastic originally was a cheap, versatile material which could be sanitised
easily meaning that it was crucial during World War 2, and continuing with most of the
current plastic pollution being manufactured in the last 15 years. But the history of plastics is
not all glorious, as the use of these polymers not found in nature would have a vast effect on
the world in all habitats and have devastating effects on the communities in these habitats.
While there are numerous forms of plastics causing problems in all ecosystems this report
shall be focusing on the microplastics in the ocean. Microplastics are small plastic particles
that are less than five millimetres in diameter and can be categorised as being either primary
or secondary. The distinction is that primary microplastics are tiny particles designed for
commercial use (see figure 1), while secondary microplastics are the result of the breakdown
of larger plastic items due to exposure to environmental factors such as the sun’s radiation
and ocean waves (see figure 2). Both types of microplastics do not break down into
harmless molecules like natural polymers. Instead, plastics including microplastics can take
hundreds or thousands of years to break down, in which interruptions to marine ecosystems
occur. Therefore, the reduction of countries’ use of plastic and removal in environments has
been made a priority and actions are being taken to combat the growing microplastic
problem.

Figure 13:
Primary
microplastic
(Katie Good)

Figure 24:
Microscopy of
a water sample
(National
Geographic)

1
Bellis, M. (2020). The History of Plastics From Photographic Film to Polyester Suits. Retrieved 8 September
2020, from https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-plastics-1992322#:~:text=%20A%20Brief%20History%20of
%20the%20Invention%20of,of%20the%20evolution%20of%20plastics.%20%20More%20
2
Statista. 2021. Global Plastic Production 1950-2018 | Statista. [online] Available at:
<https://www.statista.com/statistics/282732/global-production-of-plastics-since-1950/> [Accessed 18 January
2021].
3
Good, K. (2015). Could the Tide Against Plastic Microbeads Finally Be Turning for the Better? [online] One
Green Planet. Available at: https://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/could-the-tide-against-plastic-
microbeads-finally-be-turning-for-the-better/ [Accessed 18 Nov. 2020].
4
Society, N. (2020). Microplastics. Retrieved 23 September 2020, from
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/microplastics/

1
To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen 1541

Focusing on the factors that affect the response to microplastic pollution, this report will
conclude whether the global population is effectively dealing with microplastic pollution in the
ocean. Due to an inability to rapidly improve the amount of plastic in the ocean globally,
made clear by the scale of the Great Pacific Waste Patch, the most available option is to
reduce the use of primary microplastics in commercial use. Therefore, this report will be
focused on Primary microplastics, since the application of alternatives is thriving with
alternatives to primary microplastics such as microbeads in cosmetics being made from
cellulose as a biodegradable microbead substitute. By comparing the severity of the current
microplastic pollution to the significance of factors on the issue, ranging from the current
technology including the products that are alternatives to microplastics to the policies of both
the government and private companies, the outcome of this action can be evaluated. After
this evaluation, the effectiveness of the action suggests that although overall the state of the
microplastic pollution is still not properly dealt with the primary microplastics are being
reduced and replaced over a larger scale of time. Although there are limits to the action
taken, the work done to reduce the primary microplastic pollution is almost effective.

Naturally, there are challenges when faced with this statement. The effectiveness of the
action is measured by first evaluating the state of the pollution in order to recognise the
severity of the issue. This can then be compared to the action that is being taken in order to
confirm whether it is enough. The action will include the technology that is being produced,
which in terms of primary microplastics is alternatives to the microplastics. But the action
also includes the role of governments and the private sector in controlling the use of
microplastics, which will be the major factors in this report for whether their actions are
appropriate for the scale of the issue. The governments and private sector will also be
referred to under the overall term “Global population,” due to their involvement in regulation
and distribution of products that include microplastics. Therefore, the “will” of these groups,
their intentions, can be evaluated which will answer whether their resolve is to the degree
where it is dealing with the issue of microplastic pollution.

The evaluation of the statement first requires an analysis of the severity of primary
microplastic pollution, which involves the effect on the environment and on the public.
Although there is no current evidence that it harms our bodies, it does harm other organisms
which in turn harms us, as is discussed in the report. Therefore, the severity of the problem
is large and should have an appropriate level of action to counteract this. The first area for
action to be taken is with the possible technology that can be used to effectively decrease
the microplastic pollution. Since the solutions to removing or preventing microplastic
pollution is more specific to secondary microplastics, this report will be focused on the
development of alternatives to the current microplastic and microfibres. These alternatives
are readily available, with multiple companies producing these alternatives. However, this is
ineffective if the companies that could use the alternatives keep using the microplastics. As
such, the private sector must be considered when confirming whether the response is
adequate. Although there is a lot of variation, it does appear that there is the understanding
that the public wants them to comply. However, the variation is where there is concern, so it
is key to consider their motives. Taken nationally and internationally, the government has
mainly focused on the role of secondary microplastics, removing plastic from waste rather
than putting intent into legislation and limit the private companies’ choice. This is not the
case and so the general census of this report is that there is a general sense that the effort
can become more effective at dealing with microplastic pollution but needs firmer actions.

Research Review

What is the microplastic problem?

2
To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen 1541

The main issue that microplastic pollution raises is that although we knew about plastic
pollution as early as the 1970’s5, it wasn’t truly recognised scientifically until much later when
its effects became more blatant, especially in larger marine mammals such as dolphins and
turtles6, and by the time this was being discovered microplastics were already readily
available to marine ecosystems globally. A study conducted by Katsia Pabortsava
in the Atlantic Ocean found that microplastics in the ocean could weigh 21 million tonnes, an
increase of 24% from the original estimate of 17 million tonnes before the study. The study7
found that the three most common polymers, polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene
indicated that the plastics were from packaging, a source of secondary microplastics. But
what the study also highlights is that awareness of microplastics in the ocean is lower while
studies did not include the smaller microplastics that weren’t being taken into consideration
by not being sampled with the fine gauzes necessary, since the microplastic being filtered
rarely exceeded 600 micrometers, mostly ranging from 70 to 120 micrometers, while the
previous experiments had involved gauzes of 300 to 390 micrometers. This was suitable
since the variation was believed to be within this range, and the vulnerabilities of the gauze
were negligible8, but now that the presence of smaller microplastics in large populations is
evident the need for finer gauze is great. Therefore, this lack of information is improving but
ongoing research is still required if we are to counteract the damage the microplastic
problem is causing9.

But this concern is not only being recognised in individual studies such as this. Microplastics
have become a major concern for leading scientists, two of the world’s most eminent
scientists being Prof. Richard Thompson (see figure 3) and Prof. Kara Law. These two
figures express concern over the potential physical and toxicological risks that microplastics
can pose to marine organisms10. Prof. Thompson’s concern11 especially is key to the severity
of the pollution since as a well-respected scientist whose research into the matter contains
both the abundance of microplastics in the Atlantic and the role of microplastics as acting as
a vector of chemicals in harming marine life, he also is vocal to governmental bodies such as
the UK House of Commons Committee for Water Quality which he presented his research to
in 2013 and then to the US Secretary of State, John Kerry. This is essential for improving the
awareness of the microplastic pollution which Prof. Thompson stated was lacking, with
“unanswered questions” about the amount of microplastic debris which had accumulated on
the seafloor. While over the time since this article was written some of those questions have
been answered, such as the dispersal of the microplastics polymer resin, synthetic fibres
and additives found by Prof. Law12 in her article on the production, use and fate of all plastics

5
Carpenter, E. J., and Smith, K. L. (1972). Plastics on the Sargasso sea surface. Science 175, 1240–1241.
6
Gall, S. C., and Thompson, R. C. (2015). The impact of debris on marine life. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 92, 170–179.
doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.12.041
7
Gill, V. (2020). Microplastic in Atlantic Ocean 'could weigh 21 million tonnes'. Retrieved 17 October 2020, from
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-53786555
8
ResearchGate. 2021. (PDF) Small Microplastic Sampling In Water: Development Of An Encapsulated Filtration
Device. [online] Available at:
<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326917413_Small_Microplastic_Sampling_in_Water_Development_of
_an_Encapsulated_Filtration_Device#pf7> [Accessed 19 January 2021].
9
Barboza, L. G. A., Vethaak, A. D., Lavorante, B. R., Lundebye, A. K., and Guilhermino, L. (2018). Marine
microplastic debris: an emerging issue for food security, food safety and human health. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 133,
336–348. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.05.047
10
Merrington, A., 2018. Leading scientists express concern over micro plastics in the ocean. [online] University of
Plymouth. Available at: <https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/leading-scientists-express-rising-concern-over-
microplastics-in-the-ocean> [Accessed 1 February 2021].
11
FRS, P., 2018. Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS - University of Plymouth. [online] Plymouth.ac.uk.
Available at: <https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/staff/richard-thompson> [Accessed 1 February 2021].
12
Sea.edu. 2019. Study Abroad with SEA Semester | Sea Education Association | SEA Semester. [online]
Available at: <https://www.sea.edu/academics/faculty_detail/dr_kara_lavender_law> [Accessed 1 February
2021].

3
To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen 1541

ever made13, the answers often stated that the significance of the pollution is greater than
was expected and therefore required attention to prevent the damage that was already
occurring when microplastic was first coined in 2004 by Prof. Thompson. This was true for
Prof. Laws paper which found that there had been an increase in microplastic production
from 2 million tonnes in 1950 to 380 million tonnes in 2015, with an annual growth rate of
8.4%, which is concerning since this increase is 2.5 the estimated quantity predicted before
the article. The articles done by these figures has been important for introducing the issue on
a global scale, but what it also highlights is that the severity of microplastic pollution is only
increasing as the already present plastic is degrading into more secondary microplastic.
However, primary microplastics still contribute to that damage but is much easier to deal with
without having the sieve the ocean for pre-existing microplastics. So at this greater challenge
than had been previously expected, the options of what can be done to counter this pollution
is key when determining whether it is being dealt with effectively.

Figure 3:
Professor Richard
Thompson
(University of
Plymouth)

What technology is available to tackle the pollution?

A key area that is crucial to primary microplastic use is in cosmetics. Since 2019, the UK
banned the use of microplastics in shower gels and toothpaste, but not in suncream and
lipstick which lacks the enforcement to stop microplastics being used in those products. But
this is being challenged by companies such as Naturbeads14 which are developing
biodegradable microbeads using cellulose as a substitute for the microplastic particles.
Founded in 2018 through the University of Bath, the company developed through the
awarding of prizes and grants such as the Plastic research fund and Innovation or TSB
Innovation Grant which in total have granted the company over 1 million pounds. Their
success has led to orders growing to 2 tonnes15 which account for 0.08% of the cosmetic
microbeads contributing to microplastic pollution16. Cellulose, a biomaterial which is
13
Law, K., Geyer, R. and Jambeck, J., 2019. Production, use and fate of all plastics ever made. [online] Science
Advances. Available at: <https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/7/e1700782> [Accessed 1 February 2021].
14
"Renewables: Scientists make Biodegradable Microbeads from Cellulose." Chemical Industry Digest, 28 July
2017. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A499433434/GPS?
u=richuish&sid=GPS&xid=b96b55d6. Accessed 7 Dec. 2020.
15
Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies. 2020. Naturbeads – sustainable microbeads to replace
microplastics in cosmetics and toiletries - Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies. [online] Available at:
<https://www.csct.ac.uk/casestudy/naturbeads-2/> [Accessed 2 February 2021].

16
Publications.parliament.uk. 2019. House of Commons - Environmental impact of microplastics - Environmental
Audit Committee. [online] Available at: <https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmenvaud/
179/17906.htm> [Accessed 2 February 2021].

4
To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen 1541

abundant on Earth in plants, is forced through a tubular membrane while in a solution which
creates spherical droplets that when washed with vegetable oil produces the beads. These
beads (see figure 4) are an example of a solution to the microplastic pollution, but the
challenge companies such as Naturbead face is the price. Finding an equivalent
replacement that can compete with the cheap low-cost plastics is challenging which is why
primary microplastics are still a problem in cosmetics. An additional challenge which is faced
by these companies is that in order to produce enough cellulose to fully replace the current
microbeads sustainably. It is believed that to sustainably produce the product would require
acres of plants17. However, Naturbeads succeeds in overcoming this by working with a hemp
company, since hemp is 70% cellulose. What this company’s work shows is that it is
possible to make alternatives to microbeads and do it successfully. The success of this
company is evidence for the success of alternatives which can easily replace the plastics
that are currently used.

Figure 418:
Cellulose
microbeads
(product
Naturbead, image
by Greenpeace)

But the problem of primary microplastics is not constrained to the cosmetics industry. The
addition of synthetic elements into denim has led to the release of these elements in the
form of microfibres, causing microplastic pollution due to the clothing industry. The
microfibres (see figure 5) are released when the clothing is washed in the wastewater.
Although the water treatment plants do filter most of the microfibres, some still is discharged
into open sea as effluent. A study by the American Chemical Society’s Environmental
Science and Technology19 found that indigo denim made up 23%,12% and 20% of all
microfibres in sediments from the Great Lakes, shallow suburban lakes near Toronto,
Canada and the Canadian Artic Archipelago respectively. These figures, as well as the
levels of microfibres in the effluent, meant that the researchers estimated that 1 billion indigo
denim microfibres were being discharged per day. Although it is not a solution to stopping
the pollution, the team did suggest that the amount of microplastic could be reduced by the
17
"Environement plastic - New biodegradable and sustainable alternative to pesky plastic microbeads." RFI, 15
Aug. 2019. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A596499960/GPS?
u=richuish&sid=GPS&xid=5a247e32. Accessed 7 Dec. 2020.
18
Pitman, S., 2021. Is Cellulose The Answer To Eco-Friendly Microbeads?. [online] cosmeticsdesign-
europe.com. Available at: <https://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Article/2017/06/23/Is-cellulose-the-answer-
to-eco-friendly-microbeads> [Accessed 4 January 2021].
19
"Denim makes outsized contribution to ocean microfibres." just-style.com, 9 Sept. 2020, p. NA. Gale General
OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A634888051/GPS?u=richuish&sid=GPS&xid=46e4d6ad. Accessed 15
Sept. 2020.

5
To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen 1541

consumers. Simply by washing their clothes less the microfibres discharge can be reduced,
or for a greater price the use of a cooler, faster washing machine which has a higher
efficiency could save tonnes of microfibres being released.

Figure 520:
An EM of microfibres
(Mermaids Ocean
Clean Wash)

However, the best solution is to not use the synthetic material, instead using organic
materials such as cotton which degrades completely. Although it may be less absorbent than
the specially manufactured microfibres21, cotton is inexpensive in comparison to Microfibres,
costing approximately £1918 per ton which is approximately one tenth of total cost of using a
polyester textile at £1496322 per ton in January 2021, although individual synthetic textiles
have varying prices. Another alternative which is becoming more widely used is wood as a
sustainable textile raw material. A survey by the Finnish fibre company

Spinnova23 found that attitudes in the industry towards sustainability are changing, with the
survey being conducted in Finland, Sweden, Germany, France and the USA. The
respondents found that 90% of Finns and 91% of Swedes were pro wood, with the main
reasons against the wood-based material being the environmental factor and the qualities of
the material. The CEO of Spinnova states that the farming of wood to produce the raw
material is carbon positive due to the trees being a large carbon sink. Through this, most
people still are in favour of wood-based textiles, and yet only a third had experienced wood-
based textiles, such as Spinnova’s product (see Figure 6). The cellulosic alternative has
been available for decades, which makes it surprising that a minority of the population have
experienced it. But that does not limit the appeal as 55% of the respondents did find the idea
appealing. The study did find variety in the response however between the countries, with
65% of French respondents thinking cotton was sustainable while only 29% of Finns
believed so. This variation does limit the credibility of the conclusion, but what is plainly
evident is that there is interest in the topic which would inspire greater use of the
alternatives. With this level of interest, the industry has made greater use of the alternatives
since a third of the population consider the material of their products when shopping.

20
Ocean Clean Wash. 2021. Synthetic Clothes Pollution: What Does Science Say? - Ocean Clean Wash. [online]
Available at: <https://www.oceancleanwash.org/science/> [Accessed 4 January 2021].
21
CleanLink. 2020. Differences Between Microfiber And Cotton. [online] Available at:
<https://www.cleanlink.com/hs/article/Differences-Between-Microfiber-And-Cotton--20239> [Accessed 3 February
2021].
22
Fibre2fashion.com. 2021. Textile Market Price Trend | Textile Market Report – Fibre2Fashion. [online]
Available at: <https://www.fibre2fashion.com/market-intelligence/textile-market-watch/textile-price-trends>
[Accessed 3 February 2021].
23
"Consumer consider wood a sustainable textile raw material." just-style.com, 8 Sept. 2020, p. NA. Gale
General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A634787623/GPS?u=richuish&sid=GPS&xid=36c7d11f.
Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.

6
To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen 1541

Figure 624:
Magnification of Wood-
based textile (Spinnova)

Therefore, the availability of alternatives is not an obstacle to the use of biodegradable

microplastics in commercial products. Although there are challenges that applying this
technology faces, such as the price which is what many of these companies must contend
with when producing their similar product. But this can be overcome by public interest. As
expressed, the public is interested in using more eco-friendly materials, and so this gives the
companies that produce the products the incentive to make use of the alternatives and to
completely replace the current microplastics. However, for this to truly occur the private
companies must be the ones to make the change. The effectivity of these alternatives is
entirely reliant on the companies, and as such the companies must make full use of these
materials for them to be effective at dealing with primary microplastic pollution.

What are the private companies doing?

Governments are already involved in reduce and eventually stopping microplastic being
incorporated in private companies products through the means of restrictions. The greatest
example of this is the current proposal being put forward by the European Chemicals
Agency (ECHA)25. This proposal was over increasing the range of ingredients for exfoliating
microbeads which would be restricted under the EU’s REACH chemical control system. This,
if it went through, would formalise the voluntary phase out of microplastics by Cosmetics
Europe, the industry’s speaking body, from 2022 depending on the date of agreement.
Although Cosmetic Europe has been phasing out the use of microplastics for exfoliation
between 2012 and 2017of 97.6%, with individual countries following this trend in the graph of
microbead use in exfoliators, the industry disagreed with points on the proposal and said that
the “cost effectiveness calculations on which they are based are flawed,”. This should not be
true since in general, from the companies participating in the analysis, there is only 0.3% of
the quantity of microbeads being used in exfoliators than there was 6 years ago, with all the
regions being within that approximation by 2018. A feature of their argument is that there are
not enough
alternatives. Although
ECHA provided a list of
possible alternatives

24
Good News from Finland. 2019. Spinnova Awarded For World-Changing Idea. [online] Available at:
<https://www.goodnewsfinland.com/spinnova-awarded-for-world-changing-idea/> [Accessed 4 January 2021].
25
Nuthall, Keith. "Microplastics in beauty: A ban timeline: As the ECHA moves to ban microplastics in European
cosmetics, Keith Nuthall discovers what the implications might be for Cosmetics manufacturers." Soap Perfumery
& Cosmetics, vol. 92, no. 6, June 2019, p. 82+. Gale General OneFile,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A592903706/GPS?u=richuish&sid=GPS&xid=6d214222. Accessed 7 Dec. 2020.

7
Microplastic use in exfoliators (2013-
2020)
To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen 1541

that would not have a greater environmental burden than synthetic microplastics, Cosmetics
Europe claims that ECHA ignored the evidence that countered this and that there are no
alternatives for microplastics of specific functions. But the industry also argued over ECHA’s
description of microplastics since the agency referred to microplastics as “polymers” which
they argued over because “all plastics are polymers but not all polymers are plastics.” The
discord over this proposal has made it clear that although the industry is willing to make
changes to reduce their pollution output, they resist moves towards the final banning of
primary microplastics. This would be relevant for conditioners, hair colourings, masks,
shampoos and soaps. It currently seems as if this ban could go through, but this is mainly
due to the efforts of the government and not the companies that it will affect. In these
discussions the arguing is evidence for the lack of the industry’s action. However, the
concerns of Seb Dance26, Labour’s Deputy Leader at the time of the proposal, reflect the
another limiting factor of this proposal. Dance’s concern was that the bill would be ineffective
if individual companies were to act on their own and varying levels of action, and so this
proposal while effective in theory would be ineffective since the microplastics would still be
used where the laws are more flexible and so would fail to stop the pollution. It would be
down to the companies, but as this response suggests these companies do have their own
priorities which will affect their compliancy.

Figure 727:
Graph of microplastic use in exfoliators from 2013 to 2020 (Euromonitor International)

Years
In consideration to how fashion companies are seeing the pollution crisis, it is regretful that
research done by the Environmental non-profit Carbon Disclosure Project28 found that only
one in ten fashion brands are aware of water pollution as a risk across all stages of
manufacture, as well as missing the opportunity to partake in water-related business. The
research into 62 fashion brands and retailers saw that while these companies did report
substantive pollution risks in the manufacturing stages, only one in ten acknowledged that
their product’s use and disposal was contributing to water pollution. But not a single
company considered this water pollution to be a financial or strategic risk. Among the CDP’s
findings, only H&M mentioned microplastics or microfibres. This is concerning since the
production, use and disposal of their textiles were a major source of microplastic pollution,
and yet the industry shows resistance while they prefer to not acknowledge the issue in
favour of the relative cheapness of microplastics at less than 50% of the alternative 29. When
this research was put forward, fashion and textile companies were requested by their
investors and customers to disclose their water impacts to the CDP and subsequently to
them, and although 62 did comply, 74 companies did not provide data. This becomes worse
when the value of water pollution reduction is considered. Companies report that there is
over $180 million in business opportunities that relates to water pollution reduction. But what
is affecting these companies the most is the challenges of fast fashion. In this report the

26
the Guardian. 2018. EU proposes ban on 90% of microplastic pollutants. [online] Available at:
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/30/eu-european-union-proposes-microplastics-ban-plastic-
pollution> [Accessed 7 February 2021].
27
Blog.euromonitor.com. 2016. Plastic Not Fantastic: Industry Responds To US Microbeads Ban. [online]
Available at: <https://blog.euromonitor.com/plastic-not-fantastic-industry-responds-to-us-microbeads-ban/>
[Accessed 4 January 2021].
28
"Fashion brands 'largely blind' to water pollution risks." just-style.com, 16 Sept. 2020, p. NA. Gale General
OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A635605980/GPS?u=richuish&sid=GPS&xid=3fb31290. Accessed 7 Dec.
2020.
29
Fibre2fashion.com. 2021. Textile Market Price Trend | Textile Market Report – Fibre2Fashion.[Accessed 3
February 2021].

8
To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen 1541

director of the CDP, Cate Lamb, spoke on the matter of this, in how there is pressure
building up from investors, customers, and regulators to make changes towards embracing
sustainability and circular economy practices, which would prepare the industry for the future
which the consumer desires.

The good news for the future of reduced microplastic use in commercial products is that the
industry seems to be recognising the problem. It may be through the prompting of
companies such as Greenpeace whose main goal is to challenge these private companies to
meet the wishes of the public and reduce the use of plastic in their products. Their efforts in
2016 through their East Asia group to rank 30 of the international companies30 found that the
major brands were failing to remove microplastics from their products despite their promises
and are subsequently still polluting the ocean31. But a more important project in October
2016 by Greenpeace looked more promising, condensing a list of companies into sections
depending on whether they have already stopped using microplastics or are committed to
phasing them out, or simply have no intentions to change32. What is evident is that most
companies are committed to working with the public, their only company that is in their red
list for not having a plan or response to publish to Greenpeace being Coty33 Who in their
sustainability report does not address microplastics anywhere in the 34 page report. Instead
Coty is focusing on their ethical and societal responsibilities as well as improving their waste
management, all important responses to a more socially responsible society but in no way
improves the pollution their products are causing due to microbeads34. The sudden change
in their conclusions shows how the efforts of the Greenpeace report does influence the
industry, noting the interest in less pollutive methods and responding to the pressure. This is
positive for the reduction of microplastic use, but that is not to say that it is perfect.
Greenpeace recognises the intentions of the companies, but with a single cleansing product
containing as much as 350,000 microbeads35 (see figure 8), the organisation believes that
until a blanket ban is brought into place the issue will not be resolved. The bigger picture of
this is that there is effective reduction in microplastic use, but for it to finally be resolved
primary microplastic pollution there will need to be governmental bans internationally to
finally stop the pollution.

Figure 836:
Microscopy of the microplastic in a cosmetic
product and the equivalent without the
magnification (Science Direct)
30
Park, T., 2020. Microbeads: How Did Companies Respond? - Greenpeace International. [online] Greenpeace
International. Available at: <https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/7638/microbeads-how-did-
companies-respond/> [Accessed 7 December 2020].
31
"Personal care products may still be polluting oceans despite promises by companies says Greenpeace." US
Official News, 9 Aug. 2016. Gale OneFile: News, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A462240873/GPS?
u=richuish&sid=GPS&xid=aa93f629. Accessed 7 Dec. 2020.
32
Greenpeace East Asia. 2016. Greenpeace finds microplastics in all 5 leading cosmetic retailers : inadequate
labelling found in almost 50% of products - Greenpeace East Asia. [online] Available at:
<https://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/press/1409/greenpeace-finds-microplastics-in-all-5-leading-cosmetic-
retailers-inadequate-labelling-found-in-almost-50-of-products/> [Accessed 7 February 2021].
33
Aldred, J., 2020. Microplastics: Which Beauty Brands Are Safe To Use?. [online] the Guardian. Available at:
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/19/microplastics-which-beauty-brands-are-safe-to-use>
[Accessed 7 December 2020].
34
Coty.com. 2020. Beauty that Lasts: Sustainably report 2020. [online] Available at:
<https://www.coty.com/sites/default/files/coty_sustainability_report_fy20.pdf#page=1> [Accessed 7 February
2021].
35
Forshee, Stephanie. "Microbeads, Max Problem." San Fernando Valley Business Journal, vol. 19, no. 5, 10
Mar. 2014, p. 2+. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A365200931/GPS?
u=richuish&sid=GPS&xid=471182c6. Accessed 7 Dec. 2020.
36
Guerranti, C., Martellini, T., Perra, G., Scopetani, C. and Cincinelli, A., 2019. Microplastics In Cosmetics:
Environmental Issues And Needs For Global Bans. [online] Sciencedirect.com. Available at:
<https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1382668918305635> [Accessed 4 January 2021].

9
To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen 1541

What is being done by the UK government?

The role of the government in terms of preventing primary microplastic pollution is to, in the
form of policies, restrict the manufacturing of products from including synthetic elements.
Due to the scale of the plastic pollution problem, there are expansive policies which are
being put into place. Currently this is in the form of the UK Plastic Pact 37, being managed by
WRAP which oversees the project and monitors the status of the roadmap regularly. This is
a roadmap for the actions which must be systematically put into place in order to reach a set
of targets by 2025: to eliminate single-use plastics and to increase the plastic waste being
recycled. The targets are based on the packaging, but the impact of the pact is that it
recognises the need for alternatives, which in turn promotes sustainable option
development. However, there are standards being put into place that outlines how plastic
products will need to prove that they can break down without producing microplastics,
allowing a more effective restriction to these companies. This standard was created by
Polymateria38, a British company, which developed a formula that can create biodegradable
plastics. This shows progress, but there is resistance to the changes. An analysis of 180
articles within environmental science and environmental studies39 found that although there
is increased attention, the attention is concentrated on the pollution and the disposal of the
plastic lifecycle, especially marine pollution. This results in less attention on plastic
manufacture and the
overconsumption patterns,
where our policies are lacking
(see Figure 9).

Figure 940:
Graph showing the percentage of
environmental literature on different
plastic pollution contributors by a
survey led by Tobias D. Neilsen

37
Wrap.org.uk. 2020. A Roadmap To 2025 - The UK Plastics Pact | WRAP UK. [online] Available at:
<https://www.wrap.org.uk/content/the-uk-plastics-pact-roadmap-2025#:~:text=The%20UK%20Plastics%20Pact
%20targets%3A%201%20Eliminate%20problematic,%25%20average%20recycled%20content%20across%20all
%20plastic%20packaging> [Accessed 12 September 2020].
38
"A Standard for Biodegradable Plastic Introduced in Britain." Waste360 [Online], 12 Oct. 2020, p. NA. Gale
General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A638170898/GPS?u=richuish&sid=GPS&xid=8f48df9e. Accessed 2
Jan. 2021.
39
Nielsen, T., Hasselbalch, J., Holmberg, K. and Stripple, J., 2020. Politics And The Plastic Crisis: A Review
Throughout The Plastic Life Cycle. [online] Onlinelibrary.wiley.com. Available at:
<https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/wene.360> [Accessed 7 December 2020].
40
Politics And The Plastic Crisis: A Review Throughout The Plastic Life Cycle. [online] Onlinelibrary.wiley.com.

10
To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen 1541

The disparity between the science and the politics is the limit to how effective the response
can be to microplastic pollution. But this doesn’t have to be how it remains. It is possible to
balance the plastic life cycle between being emotional and effective, but this will require both
a political and scientific opinion within each of the sections, properly communicating the
individual opinions equally. The problems faced in communication are partly due to scientific
disciplines, dominating publishing in environmental science. This is evident in how natural
sciences and engineering focus on the upstream literature which focuses on production and
deals with the technical concerns, whereas the downstream consumption and waste is more
socially oriented, with social scientists making more explicit considerations. Tobias Neilsen,
the leading scientist in the survey, believed that if the social scientists were encouraged to
also look upstream, the politicisation of the plastic production could increase, better tackling
the pollution across the cycle instead of having a fragmented approach that fails to properly
deal with the pollution. In terms of the articles themselves, the main change is in the stages.
Currently the different stages of the plastic life cycle are treated individually, providing the
opportunity for disparity between the different stages. Instead the life cycle should be
considered holistically. This would prevent plastic-using companies from exploiting the fixed
attention of the public and government to work adversely to the wishes of those groups.
Another large change is the grouping of different plastic problems into set policies. This
already is being disassembled gradually, such as with the groupings of single use plastics
that bundles both consumption and pollution and the growing interest in the topic causing the
amount of papers being produced to increase which has resulted in there less sections of
the cycle which are not properly discussed. These options could make a change towards
better policies that could make a difference to what is currently a system that limit the
pollution but not the production of the products that produce the pollution. Nevertheless, it
still appears that there is action being undertaken to improve the pollution by primary
microplastics, but the lack of specificity and future targets is disconcerting, with the
inadequacy in their detail and a slow response affecting those areas respectively, and in
doing so damaging the effectiveness of this action at a national level.

What is being done internationally?

Similar to the action being taken in the UK led by WRAP, other countries are also joining in
with the effort to produce a more sustainable plastic economy. In France they have created
the Pacte National sur les Emballages Plastiques(2019)41, which shares the common targets
of the UK Plastic Pact, as does a recent pact in South Africa(2020)42. Among these and
other countries 450 organisations cooperated in an initiative which is all about cooperating
through an international body, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation43. Their efforts created a
plastic pact which allows the efforts of the individual nations to be coordinated, promoting
efficient initiatives to grow (see figure 10). Through this global initiative governments and
companies making up 20% of the plastic packaging have committed to act, but the main goal
of this initiative is to assist organisations at a national and regional level to implement
solutions towards a circular economy for plastic. The local targets are set in concrete to
eliminate the use of plastics in packaging and in the life cycle of plastics at all stages where
pollution can occur. Networking at an international level is essential to an effective strategy
against plastic pollution, and so this is a key feature of a healthy response.

41
Ecologie.gouv.fr. 2019. Pacte National sur les Emballages Plastiques. [online] Available at:
<https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/2019.02.21_Pacte_National_emballages_plastiques.pdf>
[Accessed 7 February 2021].
42
Plastics Pact. 2020. SA Plastic Pact. [online] Available at: <https://www.saplasticspact.org.za/> [Accessed 7
February 2021].
43
New Plastics Economy (en-GB). 2020. Plastics Pact - New Plastics Economy (En-GB). [online] Available at:
<https://www.newplasticseconomy.org/projects/plastics-pact> [Accessed 15 November 2020].

11
To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen 1541

Figure 1044:
Map of the Global
network for
Plastic pacts
(Ellen Macarthur
Foundation)

But for there to be an effective response there must be a general shared message globally,
not just restrained to the countries that are willing to comply. The United Nations does
attempt to Galvanise the general public to the issue of microplastic pollution, as seen in the
2017 Clean Sea Campaign45, which does improve the chances that countries will move
primary microplastic pollution up their priorities. However, there are no firm bans or
restrictions, leaving the decision down to each individual government. All countries are being
forced to contribute to the effort, but there is a great disparity between the countries that
have made it a priority and those who favour the cheap opportunities that the low-priced
synthetic polymers offer. This is key for the Asia Pacific region46 which accounts for 60% of
global mismanaged plastic waste, with China contributing 28% of global inadequate waste
disposal and the combination of Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam accounting for 22%
(see Figure 11). The Mekong River is one of the top ten sources of plastic waste in the
pacific, which along with the pollution in the region itself creates severe concern in the
region. The river has an input greater than 20,000 tonnes per year in a region where the
coastal mismanaged plastic waste is greater than 10,000 tonnes per year, suggesting that
the waste from inland is where the concern is, except it is not only the larger plastics that are
released but also the primary microplastics which would be release into the water systems
into the rivers. But the concern is noted and action is being taken. Along with the other global
leaders at the G20 summit, the Asian countries representatives have pledged to eliminate
marine plastic pollution by 2050. The response from the attending countries followed the
trend of the European Pact, with Indonesia gradually implementing a ban on plastic bags
starting in Bali. Other countries also made promises, ranging from strict trash sorting laws to
private sector contributions, and are implementing them successfully, but nothing as
effective for dealing with primary microplastics. The strategies taken in the private sector are
especially applaudable, with the Persistence Market Research predicting that Asia Pacific
will produce around three quarters of the bioplastics in the world by 2020, with estimates
forecasting that by 2021 further progress will be made. This is relieving to see put into these
plans as although there are designated plans, it is rare that any legislation is made to target
the private sector, favouring instead to improve disposal and ban individual plastics. The
difference of having targets for products prevents the primary microplastics being released
44
New Plastics Economy (en-GB). 2017. Plastics Pact - New Plastics Economy (En-GB).
45
UN News. 2019. Microplastics, microbeads and single-use plastics poisoning sea life and affecting humans.
[online] Available at: <https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1050511> [Accessed 7 February 2021].
46
Felicitas, S., 2020. Tackling Asian Plastic Pollution: Straw Bans, Hefty Fines. [online] AsiaFundManagers.com.
Available at: <https://www.asiafundmanagers.com/int/plastic-pollution-asia/> [Accessed 13 September 2020].

12
To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen 1541

into the ocean, instead of ignoring this section of the problem. But the question of whether
this is effective is not just down to this project in Asia. It requires a similar response globally,

preventing any breathing room for the private sector to use the cheaper microplastics rather
than using the available biodegradable alternatives. Although it is present here, it is not the
same for other projects which favour secondary microplastics and ignore the primary
microplastics. The conclusion of numerous experts, including Frank Kelly of King’s College
London and SAPEA WG member, comes back to the belief that there is not enough being
done, as well as a general lack of a overall awareness which has caused an imbalance. The
imbalance is what is concerning, limiting the effectiveness of the effort since the main
problem of primary microplastics is that if any product contains microplastics there will
continue to be pollution. Therefore, it seems that the politics of the problem are inefficient.
Figure 1147:
Map of microplastic production and input into the ocean from rivers globally (Nature Communications)

Conclusion

Overall, it does appear that the global population is ineffective at dealing with primary
microplastic pollution. The ability to replace the microbeads and use materials that don’t
contain microplastics does exist and is becoming more available with the development of
cheaper manufacturing methods. The public wants a change and are willing to make
changes necessary. Companies are moving towards biodegradable microplastics or
removing synthetic polymers from their products. There are policies being put into place by
global governments but this action is not equal in scale. Secondary microplastics are the
focus of numerous international pacts, whereas primary microplastics have much less
publicity and legislation. Without this the private sector is given the ability to choose whether
they follow the wishes of their consumers or save money. This freedom of choice has made
the use of alternatives as a selling point, which is good for those companies but softens the
message that these alternatives are what should be the norm. While there is disparity
between the government and commercial trade of microplastic-containing products, no
matter the possibility to deal with primary microplastic pollution, the global populations will
never be able to effectively deal with the problem.

However, there is hope for this to change. The disparity was born from the recent nature of
the problem and the lack of a solution. But this is no longer the case, with in-depth research
having been done to confirm the severity of the primary microplastic pollution and the effect
it has on the environment. With the research being done confirming how the microplastics
are harmful to the environment, and more objectively the fisheries and possibly public health,
47
Nature.com. 2020. Figure 1: Mass Of River Plastic Flowing Into Oceans In Tonnes Per Year. | Nature
Communications. [online] Available at: <https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms15611/figures/1> [Accessed 4
January 2021].

13
To what extent is the will of the Global population effective at dealing with Primary plastic pollution in the ocean? Jack Owen 1541

there is governmental incentive to ban the use of primary microplastics. Although this would
not remove the plastic pollution from the ocean and the primary and secondary microplastic
that is already in the water, it is tackling one source of microplastic pollution that is releasing
microplastics directly into the ocean. The global population is becoming more aware of the
problems, and the more aware the general populace becomes the better the representatives
of those people will respond to those who are speaking out. The science backs the
possibility to completely replace synthetic microplastics, the products are already available
and there is the start of proper action. But just as the action being taken to combat
secondary microplastics is aimed over a longer period, the action to counter primary
microplastic pollution requires long term targets that phase out microplastic use. All that this
takes is more specific restrictions on primary microplastics globally, which will come down to
the public’s choice of priorities. Now that the concern has been expressed the public can
understand the hidden nature of microplastics and pressure their representatives to voice
those concerns. It may not be possible yet, but in a future not too distant from now the will of
the public may become effective at dealing with primary microplastic pollution

14