Abstract
Increasing marine debris destroys the aesthetic beauty of seashores and causes high potential risks to marine life and human health. In this study, marine debris was investigated along the Southern coastline of Taiwan at 26 spots, including seashores and fish ports at three different geography types in all four seasons after the neap and spring ides during June-2018–May-2019. The debris density was determined using the Strip Transect Method, and the coordinates were recorded using the Global Positioning System (GPS). Composition and sources of debris were also assessed, and the results of 48 surveys at 6 experimental sites were compared with the National Marine Debris Monitoring Program (NMDMP) of US EPA. Total 9313 waste items were recorded, and it was observed that debris concentration varied a lot with a change in location and geography type, whereas the change in seasons and tide types showed an insignificant difference. Overall results showed that more debris were found on rocky shores than fishing spots and sandy beaches. Plastic was the major contributor along with recreational activities as a major debris source. This survey suggests increasing the cleaning rate, following plastic-use-reducing policy, and promoting public awareness through proper education and the establishment of a debris monitoring system. It was also observed that waste management policy influences marine debris concentration, so proper management and laws could help overcome this issue.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agamuthu P, Mehran SB, Norkhairah A, Norkhairiyah A (2019) Marine debris: a review of impacts and global initiatives. Waste Manage Res 37(10):987–1002
Angelini Z, Kinner N, Thibault J, Ramsey P, Fuld K (2019) Marine debris visual identification assessment. Mar Pollut Bull 142:69–75
da Silva Ferreira AT, Siegle E, Ribeiro MCH, Santos MST, Grohmann CH (2021) The dynamics of plastic pellets on sandy beaches: A new methodological approach. Mar Environ Res 163:105219
Dalu T, Malesa B, Cuthbert RN (2019) Assessing factors driving the distribution and characteristics of shoreline macroplastics in a subtropical reservoir. Sci Total Env 696:133992
Dameron OJ, Parke M, Albins MA, Brainard R (2007) Marine debris accumulation in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands: an examination of rates and processes. Mar Pollut Bull 54(4):423–433
Degli Antoni G, Marzetti GV (2019) Recycling and waste generation: an estimate of the source reduction effect of recycling programs. Ecol Econ 161:321–329
Desforges JPW, Galbraith M, Dangerfield N, Ross PS (2014) Widespread distribution of microplastics in subsurface seawater in the NE Pacific Ocean. Mar Pollut Bull 79(1–2):94–99
Doong DJ, Chuang HC, Shieh CL, Hu JH (2011) Quantity, distribution, and impacts of coastal driftwood triggered by a typhoon. Mar Pollut Bull 62(7):1446–1454
Environment Protection Administration Executive Yuan (2013) Introduction to Resources Recycling (in Chinese). EPA. http://www.ttv.com.tw/3r/Reduce/p16.htm
Fishery Agency (FA) (2011) Annual fisheries statistics report. Council of Agriculture, Taipei, Taiwa.
Fishing Grounds Resources Division (2013) Management of fishing grounds: strategies for fishing, drifting debris mitigation in fishing grounds (in Japanese). In: Fishing Grounds Resources Division, Fisheries Agency, Japan (Ed.)
Gall SC, Thompson RC (2015) The impact of debris on marine life. Mar Pollut Bull 92(1–2):170–179
García GO, Valenti AG, Zumpano F, Hernandez MM, Castano MV, Friedman I, Cabral VN, Favero M, Pon JPS (2021) Conservation approach in a coastal reserve in Argentina to promote the responsible disposal of litter derived from recreational fisheries. Ocean Coast Manage 214:105899
Goldstein MC, Rosenberg M, Cheng L (2012) Increased oceanic microplastic debris enhances oviposition in an endemic pelagic insect. Biol Lett 8(5):817–820
Grelaud M, Ziveri P (2020) The generation of marine litter in Mediterranean island beaches as an effect of tourism and its mitigation. Sci Rep 10(1):1–11
Hetherington J, Leous J, Anziano J, Brockett D, Cherson A, Dean E, Dillon J, Johnson T, Littman M, Lukehart N, Ombac J (2005) The Marine Debris research, prevention and reduction act: a policy analysis. Columbia University New York, New York, pp 2–35
Jung RT, Sung HG, Chun TB, Keel SI (2010) Practical engineering approaches and infrastructure to address the problem of marine debris in Korea. Mar Pollut Bull 60(9):1523–1532
Ko E, Shim W, Lee H, Kang W, Shin J, Kwon O, Kim J (2018) The Current status of recycling process and problems of recycling according to the packaging waste of Korea. Korean J Pack Sci Technol 24(2):65–71
Liu TK, Wang MW, Chen P (2013) Influence of waste management policy on the characteristics of beach litter in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Mar Pollut Bull 72(1):99–106
Marin CB, Niero H, Zinnke I, Pellizzetti MA, Santos PH, Rudolf AC, Beltrao M, de Souza Waltrick D, Polette M (2019) Marine debris and pollution indexes on the beaches of Santa Catarina State, Brazil. Region Stud Mar Sci 31:100771
Morishige C, Donohue MJ, Flint E, Swenson C, Woolaway C (2007) Factors affecting marine debris deposition at French Frigate Shoals, northwestern Hawaiian islands marine national monument, 1990–2006. Mar Pollut Bull 54(8):1162–1169
NOAA (2007) NOAA’s marine debris program. In: Commerce, U.S.D.o. (Ed.). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US
NOAA (2011) Understanding and preventing marine debris. IN: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Otley H, Ingham R (2003) Marine debris surveys at Volunteer Beach, Falkland Islands, during the summer of 2001/02. Mar Pollut Bull 46(12):1534–1539
See M, Gilchrist C, Cooper N, Ratcliffe D, Siddle R (2020) Microplastics in the marine environment: a literature review and northeast England case study. Water Env J 34(3):489–505
Serra-Gonçalves C, Lavers JL, Bond AL (2019) Global review of beach debris monitoring and future recommendations. Environ Sci Technol 53(21):12158–12167
Sheavly SB (2010) National marine debris monitoring program: lessons learned. In: Report to the US Environmental Protection Agency, p 28
TEPA (2001) Yearbook of Environmental Protection Statistics, Taiwan. In: Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan, Taipei
TEPA (2011) Yearbook of Environmental Protection Statistics, Taiwan. In: Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan, Taipei
TEPA (2012) Three Rs: resource recycle and sustainable reuse. http://www.ttv.com.tw/3r/reduce/p2.htm
Thiel M, Hinojosa IA, Miranda L, Pantoja JF, Rivadeneira MM, Vásquez N (2013) Anthropogenic marine debris in the coastal environment: a multi-year comparison between coastal waters and local shores. Mar Pollut Bull 71(1–2):307–316
Torres HR, Reynolds CJ, Lewis A, Muller-Karger F, Alsharif K, Mastenbrook K (2019) Examining youth perceptions and social contexts of litter to improve marine debris environmental education. Environ Educ Res 25(9):1400–1415
Tsai WT (2021) Analysis of plastic waste reduction and recycling in Taiwan. Waste Manage Res 39(5):713–719
UNEP N (2011) The Honolulu strategy: a global framework for prevention and management of marine debris. In: NOAA, UNEP
USEPA (2010) Municipal solid waste (MSW) in the United States: facts and figures. http://www.epa.gov/wastes/nonhaz/municipal/msw99.htm
Viehman S, Vander Pluym JL, Schellinger J (2011) Characterization of marine debris in North Carolina salt marshes. Mar Pollut Bull 62(12):2771–2779
Walther BA, Kunz A, Hu CS (2018) Type and quantity of coastal debris pollution in Taiwan: a 12-year nationwide assessment using citizen science data. Mar Pollut Bull 135:862–872
Walther BA, Yen N, Hu CS (2021) Strategies, actions, and policies by Taiwan’s ENGOs, media, and government to reduce plastic use and marine plastic pollution. Mar Policy 126:104391
Wang MW (2010) Characteristic of beach litter in Cijin and the response management strategy. In: Master’s Thesis, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
Wilson SP, Verlis KM (2017) The ugly face of tourism: Marine debris pollution linked to visitation in the southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Mar Pollut Bull 117(1–2):239–246
Woods JS, Verones F, Jolliet O, Vázquez-Rowe I, Boulay AM (2021) A framework for the assessment of marine litter impacts in life cycle impact assessment. Ecol Indicat 129:107918
Zhou P, Huang C, Fang H, Cai W, Li D, Li X, Yu H (2011) The abundance, composition and sources of marine debris in coastal seawaters or beaches around the northern South China Sea (China). Mar Pollut Bull 62(9):1998–2007
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge that this is an original research work carried out in Southern Taiwan. All authors have reviewed the article and agree to submit it to the International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology for publication. We confirm that this article is currently not under consideration of any other journal.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Editorial responsibility: Sunil Kumar.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yang, HT., Chao, HR. & Cheng, YF. Inferences of waste management policy and reduction of marine debris in Southern Taiwan. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 20, 1597–1606 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-022-04082-2
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-022-04082-2