Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L01047:reg:7:p2
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L01047
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 7 (pt 2/3)
Character Range: 17435–20559

and McKinsey & Company, 2016).
It is widely cited that 80 per cent of marine debris originates from land (rather than ship- or marine-based sources), but this figure is not well substantiated (Jambeck et al., 2015). During 2010, 275 million metric tonnes of plastic waste was generated in 192 coastal countries, with 4.8 to 12.7 million tonnes entering the ocean (Jambeck et al., 2015). In 2014, 15 to 51 trillion microplastic particles (items above 0.33 mm), weighing between 93 and 236 thousand tonnes were present in global oceans (van Sebille et al., 2015). The ocean may contain upward of 150 million tonnes of plastic (Ocean Conservancy, 2015). In a business-as-usual scenario, the sea is expected to contain 1 tonne of plastic for every 3 tonnes of fish by 2025, and by 2050, more plastics than fish (by weight) (World Economic Forum, Ellen MacArthur Foundation and McKinsey & Company, 2016).

         8  /  Threat Abatement Plan

           Reisser et al. (2013) characterised and estimated the concentration of marine plastics in waters around Australia and inferred their potential pathways. The marine plastics recorded were predominantly microplastics resulting from the break-up of larger objects made of polyethylene and polypropylene (e.g. packaging and fishing items). Mean sea surface plastic concentration was over 4000 pieces per square kilometre, and after incorporating the effect of vertical wind mixing, this value increased to nearly 9000 pieces per square kilometre. These microplastics appear to be associated with ocean currents that connect sampled sites to their international and domestic sources, including populated areas of Australia's east coast.
           Australian action can contribute to reducing the effects of plastic marine debris on marine wildlife globally, particularly through development of innovative concepts and technologies that help prevent plastic debris entering the marine environment. Domestic policies on materials, supply chains, product stewardship, waste management and resource recovery can all assist in minimising the volumes of debris entering the ocean. For example, the Australian Packaging Covenant is an agreement between the state and Australian Government environment ministers and the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, (APCO) a non-government organisation that focuses on sustainable packaging. The covenant seeks to minimise the impacts of packaging on the environment and the strategic plan (Australian Packaging Covenant, 2016), advocates for resource use, reuse and recycling innovation to minimise packaging going to landfill. APCO is working to instil a 'circular economy' culture in Australian businesses, focusing on keeping product packaging within an active economy by recovering it for further use after its initial use.
           Australia is also working regionally and internationally to address the issue of marine debris, particularly through the United Nations General Assembly, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, the International