At least 8 million tonnes of plastics leak into the ocean each year which is equivalent to dumping the contents of one garbage truck into the ocean per minute. They account for up to 80 percent of the trash at sea and on shores. This results in mortality or illness when ingested by sea creatures such as turtles, dolphins and whales, and damage to critical habitats such as coral reefs.
Most of the plastics ending up in the oceans comes from South-East Asia: behavioural economics theories could help for developing effective nudges, enhancing collection and reducing plastics leakage.
About the speaker:
Dr Lorenzo Lotti, University College London
Senior Teaching Fellow in Economics of Energy and the Environment
Bartlett School Env, Energy & Resources
Faculty of the Built Environment
