Körkörös.hu: Plastic could still cover the ocean surface in a hundred years

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 11. 18. 11:30

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New ocean research results paint a sobering picture: even if the flow of plastic into the seas were to completely stop from now on, some of the waste already there could remain on the surface for more than a century. The ongoing plastic and microplastic pollution is caused by the ocean’s natural “biological pump”. The latest compilation by Körkörös.hu sheds light on the plastic paradox and also explains that the WWF strategy and other research urge systemic change, because without it, plastic pollution and excessive consumption will persist in the long term.

Plastic pollution isn’t just an invisible burden accumulating on the ocean floor — according to a recent British study, it will also be present in the surface layers for much longer than previously thought. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have developed a model that shows why floating plastic does not disappear from the surface of the ocean. The results show that even if plastic pollution were to stop completely now, the waste already in the water would remain on the surface for more than a hundred years.

Why is this? The model shows that larger pieces of plastic break down into smaller fragments very slowly and only sink when sticky organic particles called “marine snow” stick to them. If this fragmentation is slow, plastic fragments can circulate on the water surface for up to a century, continuously saturating the environment with microplastics. According to the study, about 10% of the original plastic mass may remain in the surface layer.

This phenomenon also helps explain the so-called “lost plastic” paradox, according to which much less plastic is visible on the surface than we would expect based on the amount entering the ocean from land. A significant part of the “missing” amount is actually circulating in the water column in the form of slowly sinking, fragmented particles.
The researchers also warn that the “biological pump” — the ocean’s natural particle and carbon transport system — could be overwhelmed if plastic concentrations continue to rise. The mixing of microplastics with organic matter could therefore have long-term effects on ocean biogeochemical processes, including the global carbon cycle.

WWF has long stressed that plastic pollution is a systemic problem that cannot be solved by consumer good practices alone. Their “No Plastic in Nature by 2030” goal is built on three pillars: Avoidance and Reduction (especially the reduction of single-use plastics). Redesign and alternative materials (using more sustainable, recycled or bio-based materials), Circular economy and recycling. WWF is also actively supporting the creation of a global plastics treaty, for which the UN Environment Assembly took decisive steps in 2022.

According to a recent Dutch study, positive messages encouraging sustainable fashion, such as “every little step counts”, can often reinforce the status quo. According to researchers at Delft University of Technology, communication should rather emphasize