On February 9, 2022, Environmental Action released a new report, “Plastic Paints the Environment.” Commissioned by Trash Free Seas Alliance® member Pinovo, the report shows that paint may be the single largest contributor of leaked microplastics to aquatic environments with an estimated 2.9 million metric tons entering rivers, lakes, waterways, and our ocean every year. Dr. Britta Baechler, Senior Manager of Ocean Plastics Research at Ocean Conservancy, served as a reviewer on the report and released the following statement:

“This report lays bare yet another way in which plastics pervade our lives and ultimately, our ocean. The impact of paint – which contains plastic polymers and is applied to everything from boats to bridges to buildings – as a vector of microplastic pollution has previously been wildly underestimated. This has troubling implications for both ocean and human health, as microplastics have been found in 60% of  fish studied globally and there is increasing evidence that these small particles can circulate throughout our bodies and damage our tissues.

“The takeaway from this report is clear: we need to act on microplastic pollution, and we need to act now. We hope that this report spurs broad-scale action on this issue, from private sector investment in new materials and methods for capturing paint microplastics at their source, to additional research into the impact of microplastics on our environment. Ocean Conservancy stands ready and eager to help make this a reality.”

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About Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas® Program

Ocean Conservancy has led the fight for a clean, healthy ocean free of trash since 1986, when the U.S.-based nonprofit launched its annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). Since then, Ocean Conservancy has mobilized millions of ICC volunteers to remove trash from beaches and waterways around the world while pioneering upstream solutions to the growing ocean plastics crisis. Ocean Conservancy invests in cutting-edge scientific research, implements on-the-ground projects, and works with conservationists, scientists, governments, the private sector and members of the public to change the plastics paradigm.

To learn more about our Trash Free Seas® program visit oceanconservancy.org/trashfreeseas, and follow Ocean Conservancy on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.