{"id":74887,"date":"2025-11-24T15:29:24","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T02:29:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/?p=74887"},"modified":"2025-11-24T15:29:35","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T02:29:35","slug":"plastic-pollution-the-crisis-choking-the-oceans-and-marine-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/plastic-pollution-the-crisis-choking-the-oceans-and-marine-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Plastic pollution: The crisis choking the oceans and marine life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>It\u2019s a sadly common sight &#8211; a piece of plastic waste, washed up on one of the beautiful beaches around Aotearoa. It\u2019s also a stark reminder of a monumental global crisis.<\/p>\n\n<p>Plastic waste has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/microplastics-are-in-the-air-we-breathe-and-in-earths-atmosphere-and-they-affect-the-climate\/\">invaded every corner of our planet<\/a>. From remote landscapes to the oceans, in our food and even in our drinking water. And it\u2019s threatening ecosystems and devastating marine life.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2019\/04\/07f6186a-56214410_2259719830961747_5882713136489824256_n-1024x683.jpg\" title=\"Plastic bottle discarded on a West Coast beach\" alt=\"Plastic bottle discarded on a West Coast beach\" class=\"wp-image-5340\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2019\/04\/07f6186a-56214410_2259719830961747_5882713136489824256_n-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2019\/04\/07f6186a-56214410_2259719830961747_5882713136489824256_n-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2019\/04\/07f6186a-56214410_2259719830961747_5882713136489824256_n-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2019\/04\/07f6186a-56214410_2259719830961747_5882713136489824256_n.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2019\/04\/07f6186a-56214410_2259719830961747_5882713136489824256_n-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><div class=\"credit icon-left\"> \u00a9 Jason Blair<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-scale-of-the-problem\">The scale of the problem<\/h2>\n\n<p>Millions of tonnes of plastic waste <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/how-does-plastic-end-up-in-the-ocean\/\">flood the oceans annually<\/a>. The influx is estimated to be equivalent to a rubbish truck dumping its contents into the sea every single minute.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>Just picture it, trucks lining up along your local beach, dumping plastic into the waves, minute after minute.<\/p>\n\n<p>The consequences for marine life are fatal:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Choking and entanglement: <\/strong>Whales, sea turtles, dolphins, seals, and seabirds are choking on plastic debris or becoming hopelessly tangled in it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Starvation:<\/strong> Animals, such as whales, have been found washed ashore with stomachs full of indigestible plastics. This debris creates a false sense of fullness, leading them to die from starvation &#8211; with bellies full of corporate greed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>If current global trends in production and waste continue, projections suggest that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org\/the-new-plastics-economy-rethinking-the-future-of-plastics\">by 2050, there could be more plastic in the seas, by weight, than fish<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2018\/08\/e3a899fd-25c69bf9-gp0stpywj_medium_res-1024x685.jpg\" title=\"Underwater image of a turtle with plastic on his head.<div class=\"credit icon-left\"> \u00a9 Troy Mayne \/ Oceanic Imagery Publications<\/div>&#8221; alt=&#8221;Underwater image of a turtle with plastic on his head.<div class=\"credit icon-left\"> \u00a9 Troy Mayne \/ Oceanic Imagery Publications<\/div>&#8221; class=&#8221;wp-image-3984&#8243;\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Underwater image of a turtle with plastic on his head.<div class=\"credit icon-left\"> \u00a9 Troy Mayne \/ Oceanic Imagery Publications<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-holding-those-responsible-to-account\">Holding those responsible to account<\/h2>\n\n<p>The root of this pollution crisis is clear: overproduction of single-use plastic by major corporate polluters. Each year, big plastic polluting corporations like Coca-Cola <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unep.org\/topics\/chemicals-and-pollution-action\/plastic-pollution\">produce 300 million tonnes of plastic waste<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>Companies like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/unbottling-the-truth-coca-colas-role-in-plastic-pollution\/\">Coca-Cola<\/a> have known about the devastating effects of plastic for decades, yet they continue to flood the global market with single-use products that become death traps for marine life. In Aotearoa alone, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/press-release\/plastic-free-july-billion-bottles-eden-park-cgi-video\/\">an estimated one billion plastic bottles<\/a> are sold annually.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>For years, these corporations have attempted to shift the blame onto consumers, promoting recycling as the primary solution. But that is, and always has been, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/4-false-solutions-that-wont-solve-the-plastic-pollution-crisis\/\">false solution<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Only an estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s43247-025-02169-5\">9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled<\/a>. The rest is either incinerated or released into the environment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The production of plastic is only escalating, with studies projecting that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ciel.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Reducing-Plastic-Production-to-Achieve-Climate-Goals_Sept21_V5.pdf\">global plastic production could triple by 2050<\/a> if current trajectories are maintained.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>This is a massive global crisis &#8211; and one that can only be tackled by systemic change on a global level.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1199\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2020\/07\/b7ccdc97-gp0stsj56_medium_res.jpg\" title=\"A Greenpeace diver holds a banner reading &quot;Coca-Cola is this yours?&quot; and a Coca-Cola bottle found adrift in the garbage patch.\" alt=\"A Greenpeace diver holds a banner reading &quot;Coca-Cola is this yours?&quot; and a Coca-Cola bottle found adrift in the garbage patch. \" class=\"wp-image-14025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2020\/07\/b7ccdc97-gp0stsj56_medium_res.jpg 1199w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2020\/07\/b7ccdc97-gp0stsj56_medium_res-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2020\/07\/b7ccdc97-gp0stsj56_medium_res-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2020\/07\/b7ccdc97-gp0stsj56_medium_res-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2020\/07\/b7ccdc97-gp0stsj56_medium_res-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1199px) 100vw, 1199px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Greenpeace diver holds a banner reading &#8220;Coca-Cola is this yours?&#8221; and a Coca-Cola bottle found adrift in the garbage patch. <div class=\"credit icon-left\"> \u00a9 Justin Hofman \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-end-the-plastic-crisis\">How to end the plastic crisis<\/h2>\n\n<p>Governments and global leaders are failing to take the bold action needed to stop the plastic crisis \u2013 and letting corporations get their way by lobbying against attempts to create a Global Plastics Treaty that would reduce plastic production around the world.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>These corporate polluters want the public to believe that changing individual habits is enough, distracting attention from the need for corporate accountability and government regulation.<\/p>\n\n<p>While it may feel overwhelming to be up against huge companies with deep pockets, we can still turn this around. <strong>There is hope if we act now, and act fast, and get to the root of the problem.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p>Greenpeace is actively fighting to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/explore\/tackling-plastic-pollution\/\"> tackle plastic pollution<\/a> at its source &#8211; the corporations who are creating and profiting from it, and the governments that are failing to regulate it.<\/p>\n\n<p>We are:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Exposing the companies and industries responsible<\/strong> for the plastics crisis &#8211; like we have already exposed the scale of Coca-Cola\u2019s plastic pollution and greenwashing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Building the movement globally<\/strong> &#8211; getting thousands of people to add their name to calls for <a href=\"https:\/\/action.greenpeace.org.nz\/petition\/plastic-global-treaty\">a Global Plastics Treaty<\/a>, and to email NZ\u2019s Foreign Minister.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Mobilising supporters in New Zealand<\/strong> &#8211; over 100,000 people have already joined the call to <a href=\"https:\/\/action.greenpeace.org.nz\/petition\/ban-the-bottle\">ban single-use plastic bottles in Aotearoa<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Taking bold, peaceful action<\/strong> &#8211; like the Greenpeace actions already taken against major plastic producer INEOS, and at the Global Plastics Treaty talks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>Exposing the biggest polluters and demanding a massive reduction in plastic production is the critical next step to defend whales, turtles, and all marine life from this deadly flood of plastic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Together, we can stop corporations from choking our oceans and to protect the wildlife that depends on them.<\/p>\n\n<p>Every year, marine animals are suffocating, starving, and dying because of corporate plastic pollution. But with your help, we can give them a fighting chance. Will you join the movement for a future free from plastic pollution?<\/p>\n\t\t\t<section\n\t\t\tclass=\"boxout  \"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\tdata-ga-category=\"Take Action Boxout\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-ga-action=\"Image\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-ga-label=\"n\/a\"\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"cover-card-overlay\"\n\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/action.greenpeace.org.nz\/appeal\/fight-plastic?utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=plastics-appeal-blog&amp;utm_campaign=Plastics&amp;cam=701On00000RqNnQIAV&amp;dg=a\" \n\t\t\t><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2019\/07\/e7ade517-gp0stt3fm_web_size.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsrcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2019\/07\/e7ade517-gp0stt3fm_web_size-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2019\/07\/e7ade517-gp0stt3fm_web_size-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2019\/07\/e7ade517-gp0stt3fm_web_size-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2019\/07\/e7ade517-gp0stt3fm_web_size.jpg 800w\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 358px, (min-width: 780px) 313px, 88px\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\talt=\"\" title=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n            \t\t\t<div class=\"boxout-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"boxout-heading medium\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-ga-category=\"Take Action Boxout\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-ga-action=\"Title\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-ga-label=\"n\/a\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/action.greenpeace.org.nz\/appeal\/fight-plastic?utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=plastics-appeal-blog&amp;utm_campaign=Plastics&amp;cam=701On00000RqNnQIAV&amp;dg=a\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tProtect Wildlife. Fight Plastic.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"boxout-excerpt\">Donate today to fight for a future free from plastic<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t                                    <a\n                        class=\"btn btn-primary\"\n                        data-ga-category=\"Take Action Boxout\"\n                        data-ga-action=\"Call to Action\"\n                        data-ga-label=\"n\/a\"\n                        href=\"https:\/\/action.greenpeace.org.nz\/appeal\/fight-plastic?utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=plastics-appeal-blog&amp;utm_campaign=Plastics&amp;cam=701On00000RqNnQIAV&amp;dg=a\"\n                        \n                    >\n                        Donate today\n                    <\/a>\n                \t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Plastic waste invades every corner of our planet, and threatens sea life. But there&#8217;s still hope for a future free from plastic pollution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":82,"featured_media":51594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_planet4_optimize_post_is_variant":false,"_planet4_optimize_experiment_name":"","_planet4_optimize_variant_name":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"Plastic pollution: The crisis choking the oceans and marine life","p4_og_description":"Plastic waste invades every corner of our planet, and threatens sea life. 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But there&#039;s still hope for a future free from plastic pollution.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/plastic-pollution-the-crisis-choking-the-oceans-and-marine-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Plastic pollution: The crisis choking the oceans and marine life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Plastic waste invades every corner of our planet, and threatens sea life. But there&#039;s still hope for a future free from plastic pollution.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/plastic-pollution-the-crisis-choking-the-oceans-and-marine-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Greenpeace Aotearoa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/greenpeace.nz\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-24T02:29:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-24T02:29:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/04\/6c9d5f0b-gp0str1t7.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sam Hewlett\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GreenpeaceNZ\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GreenpeaceNZ\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sam Hewlett\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/plastic-pollution-the-crisis-choking-the-oceans-and-marine-life\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/plastic-pollution-the-crisis-choking-the-oceans-and-marine-life\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Sam Hewlett\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#\/schema\/person\/90c2936a24bff8c1af1416c330629dbd\"},\"headline\":\"Plastic pollution: The crisis choking the oceans and marine life\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-24T02:29:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-24T02:29:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/plastic-pollution-the-crisis-choking-the-oceans-and-marine-life\/\"},\"wordCount\":744,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/plastic-pollution-the-crisis-choking-the-oceans-and-marine-life\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/04\/6c9d5f0b-gp0str1t7.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"Oceans\",\"Plastics\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Greenpeace\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/plastic-pollution-the-crisis-choking-the-oceans-and-marine-life\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/plastic-pollution-the-crisis-choking-the-oceans-and-marine-life\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/plastic-pollution-the-crisis-choking-the-oceans-and-marine-life\/\",\"name\":\"Plastic pollution: The crisis choking the oceans\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/plastic-pollution-the-crisis-choking-the-oceans-and-marine-life\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/story\/plastic-pollution-the-crisis-choking-the-oceans-and-marine-life\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\/2022\/04\/6c9d5f0b-gp0str1t7.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-24T02:29:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-24T02:29:35+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/#\/schema\/person\/90c2936a24bff8c1af1416c330629dbd\"},\"description\":\"Plastic waste invades every corner of our planet, and threatens sea life. 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