When Plastic Waste from Indonesia Found Stranded to Africa… Page all

KOMPAS.com – Plastic waste not only causes problems in the country, but also abroad.

Recent reports say that plastic waste from Indonesia has washed up on the east coast of Africa.

This was known after researchers from Oxford University published his study on January 18, 2023.

Researchers say that waste from Indonesia “stray” to the Seychelles and other islands in the western Indian Ocean.

“New modeling studies show that the Seychelles and other islands in the western Indian Ocean are not responsible for most of the plastic waste that accumulates on their shores.,” wrote the researcher, quoted from Africa Press.

It should be noted that Seychelles is a country located 1,600 kilometers east of mainland Africa and northeast of Madagascar.

Also read: Alert! Plastic Waste from 13 Rivers Emptying in Jakarta Bay

Research findings

The researcher said that Sri Lanka and India are two countries other than Indonesia that “export” plastic waste to the same region.

The trash that the researchers found consisted of unused objects that could float, such as sandals, bottles and other small household items.

“Indonesia is the main source of land-based plastic waste found on beaches in the Seychelles, with major contributions from India and Sri Lanka,” said the researcher.

The researcher explained that Indonesia’s plastic waste might have been floating in the ocean for six months or even more than two years.

Interestingly, most of the unused bottles found in the Seychelles also came from Thailand, Malaysia, including China.

Researchers estimate that the arrival of the bottled waste originated from ship crews who dumped it into the ocean.

They identify the source of plastic waste from the label that is still attached to the package or container

Also read: South Korea’s way of dealing with plastic waste, producers and consumers have this obligation

Modeling the movement of plastic waste in the ocean

Reported from Science Daily, findings about plastic waste in Indonesia were obtained by researchers after they did modeling.

They developed a high-resolution model to view the movement of debris in the world’s oceans.

In the study, researchers include various indicators that affect the movement of trash in the oceans.

Among them are wind, waves, ocean currents, including plastic waste originating from fisheries, coasts, or rivers.

From this model, the researchers predicted the accumulation of plastic waste in 27 areas in the Seychelles and the western Indian Ocean.

Also read: Stories of Little Heroes, Children of Plastic Garbage Hunters So They Don’t Damage Rivers and the Environment

Plastic waste threatens the environment

Still from the same source, there is a strong influence of the season in increasing the accumulation of plastic waste.

Plastic waste from land and sea is likely to wash up in the Seychelles at the end of the northwestern monsoon

Researchers say the amount of waste reaches its peak in March and April.

“The accumulation of plastic debris can also be amplified by the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events,” the researchers explained.

The findings on plastic waste in Indonesia and other countries in the Seychelles and in neighboring Africa are the first studies to provide a quantitative estimate of the sources of plastic waste in this region.

The existence of plastic waste in the area certainly indicates a threat to the environment.

This is because plastic waste can harm people who depend on the sea for economic activities, tourism and food.

This pollution is also a risk for the sustainability of marine ecosystems.

“In addition, plastic debris washed up from distant sources increases the risk of spread of invasive species and diseases,” the researchers wrote.

Also read: The Recycling Rate of Plastic Waste in Indonesia is Still Low

Noam Vogt-Vincent as the main author of this study said that his party had combined observational data from all over the Seychelles.

This is done by conducting state-of-the-art computer simulations to produce the most comprehensive predictions currently available for marine debris.

“This will provide important information for local interests in these islands,” he said.

“Many of these are hotspots for global biodiversity and for informing national and international responses,” Noam continued.

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