By Hohyeon Lee
“Technologies for living together without turning cities into garbage dumps have been constantly discovered” -Aldous Huxley
The issue of plastic waste in the ocean is not a recent one. In the 1930s, author Aldous Huxley, known for his dystopian novel Brave New World, stumbled upon a disturbing sight while walking on Santa Monica beach. He found dead larvae scattered around, a result of condoms that had been dumped into the Los Angeles sewer and washed up on the beach. This early evidence of plastic pollution in the ocean, along with other historical examples, should serve as a reminder of the urgency of the problem and the need for awareness.
In the late 1960s, marine plastic pollution became a problem in different areas. In 1969, Norwegian researcher Thor Heyerdahl made his kayak to cross the Pacific Ocean. He noticed the large amount of plastic waste, which was not there just 15 years ago. Since then, countless similar reports have been reported. Moreover, Biologist Theofore Merell found plastic waste in West Hawaii in early 1970s. It was later revealed that the waste came from Japan, 1000km away.
For a long time in human history, plastics have been considered minor compared to other wastes that go into the ocean. The Marpol Agreement, signed in 1973, focuses on minimizing chemical wastes discharged into the sea. From the 1960s, England discharged radioactive wastes from nuclear power plants into Ireland's ocean, and they were sometimes caught in fisherman's nets. The Soviets even used the Northsea as a place to dump garbage. Fortunately, many restrictions stopped most dangerous chemical wastes from being discharged into the ocean. Considering the size of the sea, it is impossible to restrict it completely.
However, the problem of ‘common’ wastes, especially plastic waste, is not being adequately addressed. Statistics show that the amount of plastic waste has been increasing since the 1970s. The issue faced a new turning point in 1997, when oceanographer Charles J. Moore discovered a massive group of garbage, later called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This was just the ‘tip of the iceberg.’ Researchers state that the plastics on the ocean's surface are just one-fifth of the total garbage in the sea, as the surface-level garbage sinks after microorganisms are placed on plastics. This underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to waste management, as the problem is far more complex than it may seem and requires immediate attention.
There is a clear distinction between chemical waste dumping and plastic waste dumping. The former is dangerous, illegal, and pollutes the environment. The process is done with intention. However, most of the waste floating in the ocean just ends up like that somehow. About 60% of waste in the sea is just waste that was not taken care of properly(meaning that it was not collected or treated properly).
For a long time, people believed that the waste problem could be fixed with the development of technology. This was especially true in the 1980s when Western people were optimistic that technology that would end this would be invented soon—activists who went against this flow were criticized. Reality destroyed such hopes. This is an ideal example of Freud's interpretation of ‘consumer society.’. People collect trash, treat it, bury it, and burn it; however, it is impossible to be entirely away from waste. They come back as soil and water pollution and a garbage island.
Many articles suggest changing one’s lifestyle to reduce waste. However, the results are wrong. Without changing one's lifestyle ENTIRELY, minimizing waste up to 20% is said to be the maximum. In the end, the economy decides what types of waste are produced. The economy chooses what products are made, how they are bought and sold, and who gets them. This blog is not about how to get rid of the waste! Even if there is a proper way to reduce waste, it is not enough to educate the consumers; it is essential to approach the fundamental aspect of the problem. Some research says that a solution may be found conventionally. It is true that centuries ago, there was very active repair, recreation, and recycling. However, the economic system is very different from now, and the products are hand-crafted. It is IMPOSSIBLE for humanity to return to how it used to be. It is easy to be confused when not considering the point. Like how some people say that everything was repaired and recycled in the past, but in modern times, people dump products way too quickly. Remember that there are still diverse ways of repairing and recycling. The problem is that ‘efficiency’ is being prioritized so much that products that do not need to be ‘repaired’ are being produced endlessly.
As the supply shortage problem vanished, a new type of shortage was revealed. Untouched nature, clean oceans, and the land’s capacity to process waste without polluting the environment or harming humans and animals are now considered shortages. The increasing amount of plastic waste in the ocean has made ocean pollution an urgent problem. A simple solution or technological development will not solve this. While we can hope for future innovations, it's important to acknowledge the current limitations of technology in solving this issue. This realization should inspire us to continue research and innovation in waste management.
Nevertheless, the discussion is necessary. We have to know how deep wastes interfere with our life. This problem cannot be solved in conventional ways. I think that just realizing this is a huge step forward.
Works Cited
Köster, Roman. Müll Eine Schmutzige Geschichte Der Menschheit Roman Köster. C.H. Beck, 2024.
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