How to act against the scourge of plastic pollution?

The 7th continent is a vast gyre of plastic waste located in the center of the Pacific Ocean. It covers 3.4 million km², which is about six times the size of France or one-third of Europe.

Discovered in 1997 by American navigator and researcher Charles J. Moore, this plastic continent has been continuously expanding since. Global plastic production has doubled since 2000 and is expected to continue on this exponential trajectory. It is estimated that 10% of plastic produced has already ended up in the oceans — compared to only 9% recycled.

The oceans currently contain 14 million tons of microplastics — particles smaller than 5 mm. Their danger lies in two mechanisms:

• Ingested by marine animals, they are directly harmful to their organisms.
• They integrate into the food chain and make their way up to our water and our plates.

As a result, it is estimated that a human consumes an average of 5 grams of plastic per week, the equivalent of a credit card. All experts warn about the dramatic impact of this phenomenon on marine biodiversity and coastal populations.

During the 5th United Nations Environment Assembly, held in March 2022 in Kenya, a resolution on plastic pollution and marine litter was adopted, with the support of France.

This resolution remains at this stage a political declaration with no binding legal value: in case of non-compliance, no sanctions can be applied. However, an intergovernmental committee has been established to prepare a legally binding agreement — a decisive step to come.

Three major initiatives are worth knowing about:

• The Ocean Cleanup — founded by Boyan Slat, this project aims to clean up half of the 7th continent in 5 years thanks to a floating barrier capable of retaining plastic particles.
• The Sea Cleaners — a French association developing the Manta, described as the “first ship capable of collecting, treating, and valorizing large quantities of marine plastic waste.”
• Tara Ocean Foundation — a French organization that conducts scientific expeditions to “explore and raise awareness to protect.”

These three initiatives share a common focus on innovation, research, and long-term awareness-raising rather than short-term solutions.