Why is the plastic waste in our waterways increasing?

As the population grows to nearly 8 billion people, more and more plastic waste is building up rapidly. However, not is it only filling up the landfills but it’s affecting our beaches, coasts, oceans, seafloors and inland waterways. The effect of coastal littering is not only washing up bottles and other plastic debris, but also marine life.

It is estimated that the current population has produced a 320 million tonnes of plastic waste! And if we carry on as we are and do not change, this figure could double by 2034. But what does that mean to our ocean’s ecosystems?

Marine life is facing horrific consequences from our waste, with many species ingesting plastics such as balloons and carrier bags, or being tangled and unable to escape. This has resulted in death for as many as 100,000 marine mammals and turtles every year worldwide. However, there are many ways boaters can help prevent plastic pollution and help clear up our waterways. Small changes can help make a huge difference to our oceans ecosystem.

So before you start viewing moorings for sale via BWML, there is a certain responsibility to ensure you look after the environment and spread the message. Together we can all make a difference to prevent further plastic pollution, so to begin take a read of the infographic below.