Since its creation, Surfrider Foundation Europe has kept the fight against macro- waste at the forefront of its mission.
However, we don’t have enough information about this type of contamination due to the absence of observation. Without sufficient research and knowledge of the problem, we are unable to solve it. Without quantification, this contamination isn’t taken seriously by public authorities.
Macro waste is the most visible and yet forgotten pollution and the obvious sanitary and environmental hazards are far from negligible.
Surfrider's lobbying initative puts pressure on European institutions to acknowledge the severity of the problem while “Ocean Initiatives” works on the ground to combat macro-waste.
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Macro-waste in brief
Neither French national law nor international law defines macro-waste. The only functional criteria that determines if the object in question is trash is whether or not it was abandoned.
A Menace to the Environment
Macro-waste is disturbing the planet's coastal ecosystems, leading to dramatic consequences for the environment and its species.
Why continue the fight?
Macro-waste is the forgotten pollution of European legislation.
European law does not define macro-waste, and in addition, the entire staute falls short.
Some Striking Examples
The Great Garbage Patch, mermaid's trears (remnants of plastic from the production of plastic goods), cigarette butts or scraps of plastic are concrete examples of the impact of macro-waste on our environment.