{"id":48292,"date":"2021-06-09T16:55:20","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T14:55:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/?p=48292"},"modified":"2022-07-21T15:09:37","modified_gmt":"2022-07-21T13:09:37","slug":"potential-toxic-plastic-sri-lankas-oil-spill-xpresspearl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/48292\/potential-toxic-plastic-sri-lankas-oil-spill-xpresspearl\/","title":{"rendered":"Tons of potentially toxic microplastics are covering Sri Lanka\u2019s western coastline"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happened?<\/h3>\n\n<p>Sri Lanka is facing one of the worst environmental disasters in its history after tons of plastic pellets have washed ashore near its capital devastating kilometers of pristine beaches and threatening marine life. The pellets, microplastics the size of lentils, are the type used as raw materials in the production of single-use plastic packaging. Authorities have warned people not to touch the pellets as it is still unclear how toxic they are.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">After days on fire, the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/MVXPressPearl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#MVXPressPearl<\/a> sunk off the coast of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SriLanka?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#SriLanka<\/a> releasing a cargo of chemicals &amp; plastic pellets used in single-use packaging into the environment. Experts fear an oil spill could soon follow.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/breakfreefromplastic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#breakfreefromplastic<\/a> <br>\ud83d\udcf8 \u00a9 Picture Alliance \/ Associated Press <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ewxjJWDqDx\">pic.twitter.com\/ewxjJWDqDx<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Greenpeace PressDesk (@greenpeacepress) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/greenpeacepress\/status\/1400824703200153600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 4, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<p>On May 20, the Singapore-registered X-Press Pearl container ship caught fire on its way from India to Singapore, following a leak of nitric acid from a container which is thought to have triggered a chemical reaction in the cargo. This caused a fire which eventually made the ship a total constructive loss.<\/p>\n\n<p>Although the fire was largely out by May 30, eight containers full of countless plastic pellets fell overboard during the accident and their contents spread with the ocean current.<\/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-international-stateless\/2021\/06\/ffb21358-gp1svakk-1024x683.jpg\" title=\"Microplastic Cleanup after X-Press-Pearl Accident in Sri Lanka. \u00a9 Tashiya de Mel \/ Greenpeace\" alt=\"Microplastic Cleanup after X-Press-Pearl Accident in Sri Lanka. \u00a9 Tashiya de Mel \/ Greenpeace\" class=\"wp-image-48299\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2021\/06\/ffb21358-gp1svakk-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2021\/06\/ffb21358-gp1svakk-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2021\/06\/ffb21358-gp1svakk-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2021\/06\/ffb21358-gp1svakk-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2021\/06\/ffb21358-gp1svakk.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Cleanup efforts of countless plastic pellets that have washed up on Sarakkuwa beach, just north of the Colombo.<div class=\"credit icon-left\"> \u00a9 Tashiya de Mel \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why it matters<\/h3>\n\n<p>Why are hundreds of tons of newly produced microplastics shipped as pellets across the world&#8217;s oceans? As if the plastic pollution crisis wasn\u2019t already dire enough!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>In less than 70 years of mass production, plastic has worked its way into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/press-release\/47759\/investigation-finds-plastic-from-the-uk-and-germany-illegally-dumped-in-turkey\/\">every nook and cranny of the planet<\/a> and its effects on the environment and climate are everywhere.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>Images of soldiers and volunteers tirelessly working to remove the tiny microplastics from Sri Lanka\u2019s beaches are once again shedding light on a broken system that is failing both us and the planet we call home. Natural resources are extracted to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/46221\/davos-fight-inequality-system-change\/\">maximise profits over people<\/a>. Fossil fuel and consumer goods companies are working together to power a throwaway economic model, where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/africa\/en\/press\/13390\/video-greenpeace-plastic-lead-exposes-plastic-plight-of-his-community\/\">profit trumps the costs to our communities<\/a>.<\/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-international-stateless\/2021\/06\/cf31e091-gp1svakl-1024x683.jpg\" title=\"Microplastic Cleanup after X-Press-Pearl Accident in Sri Lanka. \u00a9 Tashiya de Mel \/ Greenpeace\" alt=\"Microplastic Cleanup after X-Press-Pearl Accident in Sri Lanka. \u00a9 Tashiya de Mel \/ Greenpeace\" class=\"wp-image-48300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2021\/06\/cf31e091-gp1svakl-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2021\/06\/cf31e091-gp1svakl-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2021\/06\/cf31e091-gp1svakl-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2021\/06\/cf31e091-gp1svakl-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2021\/06\/cf31e091-gp1svakl.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Sri Lanka is facing one of the worst environmental disasters in its history after tons of plastic pellets have washed ashore near its capital devastating kilometers of pristine beaches and threatening marine life.<div class=\"credit icon-left\"> \u00a9 Tashiya de Mel \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What we\u2019re saying about it<\/h3>\n\n<p>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/47470\/korea-plastic-pollution-starbucks-reusables-global-action\/\">Big brands cannot continue increasing plastic production<\/a> without devastating the health of communities and our biodiversity around the globe while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/47545\/climate-emergencies-in-2021\/\">fueling runaway climate change<\/a>,\u201d said Abigail Aguilar, Regional Campaign Coordinator at Greenpeace Southeast Asia. \u201cThe clock is ticking. Enough of the greenwashing by big brands and the fossil fuel industry\u201d.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is a tragic disaster &#8211; Plastic is not just an ocean and waste problem. From the beginning of its lifecycle all the way to its end, plastic is a climate, health and social justice issue.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9WTo1emcoj\">https:\/\/t.co\/9WTo1emcoj<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Greenpeace International (@Greenpeace) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Greenpeace\/status\/1400935396519727112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 4, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What needs to happen<\/h3>\n\n<p>Plastic is not just an ocean and waste problem, it is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/47146\/plastic-is-a-climate-health-and-social-justice-issue\/\">climate, health and social justice problem<\/a> too. There is no human health without planetary health: big consumer goods brands that rely on <a href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2021-05-plastics-ship-sri-lanka-beach.html\">single-use plastic<\/a>, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/47293\/coca-cola-its-time-to-stop-your-pollution-at-source\/\">Coca-Cola<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/47214\/plastics-activists-target-nestle-ahead-of-annual-general-meeting\/\">Nestle<\/a> and Pepsi, must rethink their business model and embrace a green and just future.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>Demand that big brands stop propping up the fossil fuel industry, move away from single-use plastic completely, and implement sustainable refill and reuse systems on a global scale to deliver their products.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>And in terms of environmental disasters such as this, the shipping company should be held responsible for all lost containers, their contents and any adverse impacts caused. Importantly, plastic should be classified as an environmentally hazardous material and handled as such by being allocated IMDG codes (international code for the maritime transport of dangerous goods in packaged form).<\/p>\n\n<p><em>Ana Hristova is Plastic Campaign Strategist with Greenpeace International<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"EmptyMessage\">Block content is empty. Check the block&#8217;s settings or remove it.<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tons of potentially toxic microplastics used to make single-use plastic packaging are covering Sri Lanka\u2019s western coastline.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":48299,"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":"Tons of toxic microplastics are covering Sri Lanka\u2019s western coastline","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"not set","p4_local_project":"AXIOS format","p4_basket_name":"not set","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[69,70],"tags":[85,87],"p4-page-type":[59],"class_list":["post-48292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-energy","category-nature","tag-oceans","tag-oil","p4-page-type-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48292"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54813,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48292\/revisions\/54813"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48292"},{"taxonomy":"p4-page-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/p4-page-type?post=48292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}