Global Partnership on Waste Management Marine Litter (ML) Work Plan for 2012-2016

The marine litter problem is global in scale and intergenerational in impact. Marine debris, or marine litter, is defined to include any anthropogenic, manufactured, or processed solid material (regardless of size) discarded, disposed of, or abandoned that ends up in the marine environment. It includes, but is not limited to, plastics, metals, glass, concrete and other construction materials, paper and cardboard, polystyrene, rubber, rope, textiles, timber and hazardous materials, such as munitions, asbestos and medical waste. In some instances, marine debris may also be a vessel for dangerous pollutants that are eventually released into the marine environment. Marine litter may result from activities on land or at sea. Marine litter is a complex cultural and multisectoral problem that exacts tremendous ecological, economic, and social costs around the globe.