Clara Davina

The spanish plastic problem

Spain occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula and has approximately 8000km of shoreline along the mainland and islands. The EEZ sea area of Spain cumulates to 1,039,233 km2, which is twice as large as it’s land area.

Spain was also labelled “Europe’s most polluted country” and along it’s shorelines approximately 126 tonnes of plastic waste enter the sea each day. The Mediterranean Sea is facing a crisis in regard to (micro)plastic pollution and the Spanish coastline makes up to 54% of that pollution.

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In the Mediterranean Sea, plastic litter is one of the main causes for the loss of marine lives and thus biodiversity. It acts as a stressor for coral reefs, leading to shading suffocation and mortality of coral reefs.

Furthermore, over 800 marine species (invertebrates, mussels, sea birds, fish, mammals) are contaminated with plastic litter, either via ingestion or via entanglement. This can result in toxicity, endocrine disruption, carcinogenicity, and other physical injuries such as blockage and internal abrasion. More details on how plastic pollution affects marine life can be found here.

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Sources of sea plastic pollution in Spain are mainly coming from land (80%), meaning debris such as fishing nets only account for a small amount. Plastics are carried over long distances through the sewage system or storms and wind from landfills and urban environments. Plastic generated by Agriculture is also largely contributing.

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This is due to the fact that Spain is Europe’s leader in Plasticulture (use of plastics for horticulture, fruit & vegetables as well as animal production). The world’s largest concentration of greenhouses can be found in Almeria, with more than 40.000 ha covered by plastics. And while these made it possible to optimize the agricultural production process, they also produce a large amount of waste. Most plastics used don’t withstand the intensity of the sun for more than a couple years and need replacement. Even though, recycling of these materials is possible and a large part of the waste is recycled, tons of plastic still end up in the sea each year.  

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Going forward it is important to further improve waste management, replace single use plastics (which make up to 60% of litter on beaches) by reusables and find ways to implement a circular economy within the agricultural (as well as other) sectors.

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Sources as well as ways to help are here.

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