ICOLLECT PROJECT
Our philosophy is to create, to the largest extent, a self-sustained cycle in which the parts integrate and solve a number of today’s major problems.
The marine plastic pollution is a global problem and must be solved in collaboration.
We need to create a cycle where we combine heart and soul with true commitment, but also with economical numbers to promote long term sustainable commercial operations.
To make a system where we can price the problem and its solution. In order to create a sustainable change it has to be a part of our daily lives, and also on commercial terms.
Real Example
Tons of plastic, totalling 1.8 trillion plastic pieces floating in the patch.
There are so many facts that clearly show what is happening and how the plastic pollution is influencing the sea environment. Under the surface, where a lot of plastic waste has already sunken to, we still know very little of the effects.
We do know now that micro-plastic is moving into the oceanic food chain. And that it will also therefore start to influence the human food chain. No-one knows the exact impact of this yet, but we all realise that we are moving in a very dangerous direction.
Plastic does not degrade, instead it takes hundreds of years to break down and never really disappears. It poses a significant health threat to various sea creatures, and to the entire marine ecosystem. People get contaminated easily by eating contaminated seafood that can cause serious health problems, from cancer to severe damage to a persons immune system.
The economic loss and damage caused to everything from the fishing industry and tourism, as well as harbours and the economical chain follows.
Tragic Facts
> There are over 46,000 pieces of plastic floating in each square mile of ocean just off the coast of the United States, which, only in this area, contributes to the death of 100,000 marine mammals and 2 millions sea birds yearly. This island of garbage －The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is twice the size of Texas.
> In total, 850 million cubic meters of liquid and solid wastes have been dumped into the oceans in the past 85 years. Plastic accounts for approximately 90 percent of all trash floating on the surface today. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that every square kilometre of the ocean contains approximately 17,760 pieces of plastic (46,000 pieces per square mile).
> The ocean pollution affects more than 817 animal species around the world, a figure that has increased 23% in the last 5 years. The frequency of impacts varies according to the type of debris where over 80% were associated with plastic debris while paper, glass and metal accounted for less than 2%. It is estimated that fishes ingest between 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic per year only in the Pacific Ocean.
> Studies have also shown that about 700 species have encountered marine debris, and 92% of these interactions are with plastic. 17% of the species affected by plastic are on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species.