1
The ocean supports all life on Earth and its health is inseparable from our own. It provides us with half the oxygen we breath and supports the livelihoods of over three billion people worldwide.
Covers
The ocean covers more than 70% of the surface of our planet and holds up to 97% of the Earth’s water.
Home
The ocean is home to nearly 200,000 identified species, but the actual number is likely to be in the millions.
Under threat
Around 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean from land every year.
years
Plastic is thought to remain in the ocean for hundreds, or even thousands, of years.
2050
If plastic pollution goes unchecked, there will be one tonne of plastic for every three tonnes of fish in the ocean by 2025. By 2050, plastic in the ocean could outweigh fish.
nanoplastics
Once in the ocean, plastic breaks down into increasingly smaller pieces, eventually becoming ‘microplastics’ and ‘nanoplastics’.
Marine wildlife
Plastic in all its forms is killing marine creatures; they can get entangled in plastic debris and often mistake plastic for food, causing internal blockages, and death by starvation and suffocation.
Common item
Plastic bottles are one of the most common items of litter in the ocean.
10%
10% of Thames shoreline litter collected is plastic drink bottles and lids.
2500
On one day last year, 2,500 plastic bottles were collected from the banks of the Thames – water bottles were the most common type found.
7.7 billions
UK adults use nearly 7.7 billion single-use plastic water bottles each year – that’s around 150 per person.
Consumption
The consumption of bottled water in the UK has almost doubled over the last 15 years.
65%
65% of UK adults would not buy bottled water if tap water were freely available.
