Viewpoint Marine plastic has a global impact on all ecological subjects reviewed. There are negative impacts on the provision of almost all marine ecosystem services. Negative human wellbeing impacts, particularly fisheries, heritage, recreation. Economic costs conjectured: $3300–$33,000 per tonne of marine plastic per year. This research takes a holistic approach to considering the consequences of marine plastic pollution. A semi-systematic literature review of 1191 data points provides the basis to determine the global ecological, social and economic impacts. An ecosystem impact analysis demonstrates that there is global evidence of impact with medium to high frequency on all subjects, with a medium to high degree of irreversibility. A novel translation of these ecological impacts into ecosystem service impacts provides evidence that all ecosystem services are impacted to some extent by the presence of marine plastic, with a reduction in provision predicted for all except one. This reduction in ecosystem service provision is evidenced to have implications for human health and wellbeing, linked particularly to fisheries, heritage and charismatic species, and recreation. Plastic waste Ecosystem service Valuation International Societal Financial costs Recommended articlesCiting articles (0) © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Plastic pollution in the world ’s oceans costs roughly between $ 500bn and $ 2.5tn annually , according to a study that set out to put a price on the damage done to the marine ecosystem . The paper , published in environmental Pollution Bulletin , also found that plastic waste can cost up to $ 33,000 per mt in reduced environmental impacts . The calculations , which are based on humanity ’s stock of plastic , estimated to be between 75 - 150 million mt , only cover the impacts on marine natural capital . The findings therefore represent a “ lower bound ” of the full economic impact of marine plastic , the authors noted .