What is macro-waste?

According to the Ramoge Agreements, macro-waste is waste generated by human activity, floating at the surface or submerged, carried by currents or rivers  coastline, and deposited on the beaches.

Macro-waste is comrised primarily of packaging (plastic bags, bottles, wrappers...) as well as glass and glass bottles, metal (soda cans...), fishing material, cloth, leather, rubber objects.

How does macro-waste end up on our beaches?

The trash on our coastlines was not all abandonned there. Some come from great distances, carried by running water or the wind.

The Primary Sources:

• Trash left on beaches by beach-goers
• Ports
• Sewage
• Domestic activities (small trash thrown away in toilettes, …)
• Agriculture and industrial activities
• Maritime transport
• Fishing (nets and lines…), shellfish farming and recreation boating

While the sources of macro-waste are all different, the zones of accumulation are concentrated near estuaries, rivers, on coastlines and in the sea.