Carina Ramirez
Coordinator, Outreach & Content, Ocean Legacy Foundation
It is estimated that each year, $11 billion worth of plastic materials are lost in Canada due to limited recycling initiatives and high rates of overconsumption1.
Despite the extensive areas of land designated for waste disposal, a significant amount of plastic waste still ends up polluting Canada’s coastlines and waterways, posing a serious threat to marine and coastal life. Additionally, over 640,000 tons of abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (referred to as “Ghost Gear”) enters our oceans annually. Ghost Gear not only poses one of the greatest threats to marine species but can persist in the environment for up to 600 years2, creating lasting harm for generations.
As plastic waste continues to pollute Canada’s coastlines, implementing mitigation, prevention, and reduction strategies has become essential to protect marine ecosystems. Although shoreline cleanups offer a way to address marine plastic pollution, these efforts lack the infrastructure needed to properly process and prevent plastics from leaking back into natural environments.
But what happens to all the collected material once it is removed from shorelines? Traditionally, cleanup operations in Canada only focused on removing debris and transporting it to landfills or designated disposal sites. However, this process can lead to financial losses, as valuable resources are stored instead of being repurposed. This is why establishing a circular economy for marine plastics is crucial, as it allows for sustainable reintegration of these materials into new products. Canadian leaders are innovating new ways to recycle and reuse ocean-sourced plastics, reducing waste and creating economic opportunities. This shift calls for more than just cleanups; it demands processing infrastructure and cross-sector collaboration to recycle marine debris into valuable materials.
The Ocean Legacy Foundation (OLF), a non-profit based in British Columbia, plays a key role in this movement, implementing effective strategies for managing Ghost Gear and marine debris along Canada’s coastlines. At OLF’s Plastic Pollution Emergency Response Recycling Facility, plastic waste retrieved from cleanups is transformed into high-quality pellets, which can then be used in manufacturing as a replacement for virgin plastic. By integrating these recycled plastics into new products, OLF contributes to a circular economy where plastic waste is cycled back into production rather than discarded, reducing the demand for new plastics and lowering environmental impact as marine-sourced plastics gain new life.
Canada’s circular economy model for marine plastics relies on policies and actions that support recycling innovations and cross-industry partnerships. This collaborative approach – uniting government, Indigenous communities, industry, and organizations like Ocean Legacy Foundation – ensures the creation of programs, practices and policies that encourage recycling and make marine plastic waste a valuable resource. Through these initiatives, Canada is setting a powerful example of how to effectively manage marine waste and Ghost Gear, working towards a future where ocean-sourced plastic becomes a resource and is regularly recirculated until this leakage stops in our waste stream systems.
Learn more at oceanlegacy.ca.
