Bertarelli-Annual-Report-2024-FULL - Flipbook - Page 45
Marine Science 2024
Big Brands Impact Small
Islands: Sources of Plastic
Pollution in a Remote and
Protected Archipelago
Savage, J., Chamberlain, A., Fellows, M., Jones, R.,
Letessier, T.B., Llewellyn, F., Morritt, D.,
Rowcliffe, M., Koldewey, H. (2024). Marine Pollution
Bulletin https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116476
Remote islands are disproportionately affected
by plastic pollution, which often originates from
elsewhere, and overwhelms local waste management
capacity. Research led by Jessica Savage, PhD student
at Royal Holloway and ZSL’s Institute of Zoology, was
published in Marine Pollution Bulletin journal where
they discuss the impact big brands have on small
islands by identifying sources of plastic pollution in the
Chagos Archipelago. By recording brands, countries
of manufacture, types of drinks and ages of plastic
bottles and their lids, they concluded most items
reaching the Chagos Archipelago originated from
outside the archipelago.
The main countries of manufacture were Indonesia,
China and the Maldives, and the two predominant
brands were Danone and the Coca-Cola Company.
By identifying the brands creating plastic pollution in
remote MPAs with high biodiversity, their research
provides evidence to support extended producer
responsibility, one of the proposed policy development
areas of the UN Global Plastics Treaty, a new UN treaty
that is currently being negotiated to address global
plastic pollution. This research formed part of a case
study led by ZSL, shared with the UK delegates ahead
of the second round of treaty negotiations. These
results were also presented to sustainable finance
organisations who invest in plastic manufacturers, in
collaboration with ZSL’s Sustainable Finance team,
and to Members of Parliament in the International
Conservation All Party Parliamentary Interest Group.
Pl
43
as
tic
bo
ttl
eo
nb
ea
ch
,d
ow
nto
w
nD
G©
Emm
a
Le v y
