There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic waste in our oceans, posing a threat to marine life,
tourism, food security and livelihood. Significant quantities of such plastic also end up on
beaches across the world.

The fishing industry alone faces damages worth billions of dollars every year due to damaged nets and fishing gear. Scuba diving and snorkeling which are often the main source of income in tourist areas such as island nations, archipelagos, and coastlines, are prone to bad publicity and resultant loss of income arising from polluted reef sites.  

In a study published by the UNEP, “the total natural capital cost of plastic used in the consumer goods industry is over $75bn per year”. However, the report also states that, “Downstream impacts, in particular of plastic waste reaching the ocean when littered, are likely to be underestimated due to the absence of robust data and scientific research, for example around the impact of microplastics.” The oceans function as the lungs of our planet, providing more than every second breath we take and also regulates our climate and weather. On one hand, indiscriminate production and use of plastic is causing emissions and raising the temperature of the oceans, turning it into a slow acidic bath for all marine life. On the other hand, plastic pollution of the ocean along with all the toxins in plastics are killing marine life faster than we can comprehend. The health of our oceans, and consequently of all life on earth, is endangered due to plastics. 

 It is estimated that nearly 70% of all plastic waste in the ocean is already under the surface, leaving a meagre 30% which can be recovered. Some of these, are found entangled in corals, while others travel the ocean to reach a myriad of coastlines around the world.  

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are home to some of the most beautiful coral reefs sites and beaches in the world. Once, these islands were pristine, today the problem of plastic waste has become a major challenge for local bodies, communities as well as tourists. Local waste generation in the islands has increased dramatically along with rising tourism. Even more troublesome is the unending wave of plastics and other kinds of litter that reach the shores of Andamans from other countries. It is estimated that the Andamans receive plastic waste from about 15 other countries

800 islands, 25% of India’s coastline, potentially hundreds of kilos of plastic waste coming to its shores every day: the islands are drowning in plastic.

Who bears the burden?

10% of India’s endemic species? Countless wildlife such as turtles, birds, and fish etc whose habitats are destroyed?

Local people who depend on the ocean as a major source of food and nutrition but are now ingesting microplastics and associated toxins?  

Since Andaman and Nicobar are islands surrounded by ocean bodering near and far nations, it receives trash from over 15 countries

To find solutions to this urgent problem, we’ve initiated India’s first Targeted Program for
Ocean Plastics right here in the Andamans. This program will cover collection and analysis of
ocean plastic waste to design frameworks for collection and recovery of this waste across
the country. We will of course use this data to advocate reducing plastic waste in our oceans!

To build truly long term & sustainable solutions,

we are involving local communities, divers, tourists, and local gov. bodies.

This is also to spread awareness and to build multi stakeholder solutions to the problem.

To know more about how you can support this program or become a partner/ sponsor, pls write to garima.poonia@kachrewaale.org.  

To volunteer for ocean plastics recovery activities such as beach clean-ups, drop a message at +91 9531914200