Plastic is a lightweight and flexible material. This is the reason why makes many people use plastic materials in various activities. But, unfortunately, plastic waste is one of the significant threats to the life of living things. This shows that people still often ignore sanitation from the sea.

A report by the World Economic Forum says that there are about 150 million tons of plastic waste in the world's waters. 

Plastic waste in the oceans is also a problem for Indonesia. They were reported from the news that there was the discovery of the carcass of a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) in the waters of Kapota Island, Wakatobi National Park, Southeast Sulawesi, November 18, 2018. The fish carcass, another name for the box head whale, was then necropsied. The results were surprising because, from his stomach, hundreds of various types of plastic waste were found, weighing a total of 5.9 kilograms. The garbage consisted of raffia rope, plastic cups, and plastic bags. This shows that plastic waste is hazardous for living things in the sea. It can cause death.

Plastic that ends up as marine debris contributes to habitat destruction and traps and kills tens of thousands of marine animals every year. These impacts can be limited by bringing reusable water bottles, storing food in single-use containers, carrying cloth bags when shopping, and recycling whenever possible. However, the government did not remain silent. One of the efforts made by the government was to activate the  National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP). The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, said that efforts to reduce plastic waste in the sea must be integrated at national, regional, and global levels. Mainly through the reduction of waste originating from activities on land. Indonesia is now on the right track in an effort to reduce the production of plastic waste in the ocean by starting from the ground. The community needs to raise awareness of the importance of protecting the oceans and educating about the dangers of plastic waste to the ecosystem.

Source link : http://ukmpenelitianuny.org/ganasnya-sampah-plastik/