…High concentrations of floating neustonic life in the plastic-rich North Pacific Garbage Patch
Our data suggest higher concentrations of floating life and plastic inside than outside the NPGP, and positive correlations between the logs of neuston concentrations and the log of plastic concentration for 3 out of 5 neuston taxa, Velella, Porpita, and Janthina. The obligate neustonic taxa Velella, Porpita, and Janthina may be concentrated by the same physical forces that concentrate plastic within the region and these concentrations may be important for the ecology of these species.
…A study published in mid-April offers some clues as to which traveling species could pose a problem. Researchers at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center examined 105 pieces of plastic debris they had obtained in frozen form from TOC. They found traces of species normally found in coastal waters that had used floating plastic as rafts and ended up in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch—in particular nets, ropes, buoys, boxes, and cylindrical eel traps from the fishing industry. Some species also appeared to reproduce in their new offshore home. For example, some shrimp-like amphipods were carrying eggs in their brood pouches.
…Helm has not shied away from publicly criticizing TOC, pointing out that the nets it uses to collect plastic could inadvertently trap neuston. Many species are not capable of swimming. By-the-wind sailors, for example, have a small stiff sail that sticks out of the water to catch the wind, while blue buttons and violet snails rely on currents to drift through the ocean. They are small creatures, but so are the meshes in the nets. And if neustonic species were killed in large numbers, it could have an impact on the turtles, fish, seabirds, and other animals that eat them.
…Now, an alarming new study has found that even when plastic makes it to a recycling center, it can still end up splintering into smaller bits that contaminate the air and water. This pilot study focused on a single new facility where plastics are sorted, shredded, and melted down into pellets. Along the way, the plastic is washed several times, sloughing off microplastic particles—fragments smaller than 5 millimeters—into the plant’s wastewater.
PAPER IS HIGHLY RECYCLED AND NATURALLY SUSTAINABL
Paper is based on wood, a natural and renewable material. Paper is one of the most recycled products in the world and epitomises the circular economy model of make, use, recycle and reuse.
…The paper industry uses respected forestry certification schemes to ensure that virgin fibre originates from sustainable sources. The two most recognised certification schemes are Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification™ (PEFC™). For more information on sustainable forestry,
…There’s a misconception, he says, that paper companies in the US cut down old-growth forests. “But most, if not all, paper companies harvest their wood in a sustainable fashion so that there is no net loss of forest land,” he says. The American Forest and Paper Association wrote in their 2020 annual report that 99 percent of their members get wood fiber from certified sustainable suppliers that take measures to replant trees and reduce the risk of wildfire. Some countries like Canada even have strict forest sustainability laws.
