Plastic: The increasing level of oceans’ pollution

According to a study published by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in 2050 there will be more plastic than fish (by weight) in the oceans. The always-increasing phenomenon of oceanic pollution caused by plastic has started to alarm governments and environmental associations, so much so that Lisa Svensson – Coordinator of the UNEP (United Nation Environment Programme) for Marine and Coastal Ecosystems- has included this phenomenon among the “global crises”. As a matter of fact, more than 8 million tonnes of plastic are released into the sea every year, bottles, packaging and other waste. In response to this critical situation, many countries have started to develop laws to abolish the use of disposable packaging and products largely made of plastic. Among those Italy that, following the abolition of plastic bags in supermarkets, has also extended this ban to bags used in the retail sale of fruit and vegetables, replacing them by biodegradable ones.