How Can Communities Tackle the Issue of Marine Plastic Waste?

A makeshift landfill along the coast of Columbia to tackle non-local marine debris transported by ocean currents. The handmade signs read "Ayudarnos a sacarle basura al mar" or "Help us get the trash out of the sea"

Small communities often face issues when managing modern waste sources. This can disproportionately be the case for communities that are tasked with tackling larger communities waste surplus. This is the case for a small Columbian town, Capurgana (depicted in the above and below images), that is challenged with large amounts of plastic waste washing up on its shorelines. The source of this debris can be local but is primarily from larger cities within Columbia, the greater Caribbean and Northern Gulf regions.

A tree in Capurgana with handmade signs reading "Vamos a Reciclarle" or "We are going to Recycle it" and "Nuestra Communidad NO ES UN BASURERO. Mantengamos limpia nuestras calles" or "Our community is not a trashcan. Lets keep out streets clean"

As mentioned, some waste can be locally generated, and often times small communities lack waste management systems to properly handle their own supply. It is refreshing to see efforts on a local scale to encourage local commitment to environmentally waste management practices.

Now, if small communities are already struggling to tackle their own waste, how are they to be expected to handle other cities and countries trash. It is an ongoing issue in developing nations worldwide, and other communities lack accountability due to the difficulty in tracking marine debris. An app called the DebrisTrackerV2 can help to track marine debris and potentially hold companies and communities accountable.

So how can communities, and ourselves, help to lighten the burden on small communities.

Small Communities can:

• Make local efforts to manage waste in the form of:

  • small-scale landfills

  • incinerating appropriate non-toxic waste

  • composting

  • recycling

  • viable and cost-friendly waste to energy alternatives

• Educate their community about waste and other environmental issues

• Partner with larger communities that have experience and resources to assist with the larger scale modern issue

As someone in a larger city, we can:

• Volunteer in clean up and infrastructure update projects for smaller communities

• Educate our community about waste and other environmental issues

• Utilize single use plastic alternatives (Like this GRAYL Filtering Water Bottle, that I make a commission on as an Amazon Associate)

• Avoid supporting companies and politicians that are wasteful

We all have to do our part if we want to see the success of all communities and ecosystems (like the ones below) across the globe. I hope that some of these tips have helped you to realize what you can do to help!

The hillsides of Capurgana

The coastline of Capurgana

The marina at Capurgana