Fields of glistening snow and iceberg peaks are what many people think of when they hear of the Arctic. However, this northernmost region of the Earth has trash like the rest of us. In fact, a project that began in 2021 has already resulted in the collection of more than 116,000 pounds of garbage there.
Keep Norway Beautiful and Ocean Conservancy began leading the Arctic Coastal Cleanup Project in 2021, according to the Protection of the Arctic Environment (PAME), an Arctic Council working group. It is an initiative aimed at supporting clean-up efforts and litter prevention in the Arctic as well as data collection and research.
“Despite its remote location, the Arctic is no escape from marine litter and plastic pollution,” PAME explained. “Microplastics and marine litter have been found in the water column, in sea ice, on the seafloor, in sediments and on the coastal zone. The litter originates from local and regional sources, as well as long-range transport of debris via ocean currents.”
Microplastics pollution has become a growing concern worldwide in recent years. Earlier this month, Audacy reported on research that indicates the average human brain might have a spoonful of the substance in it.
In the Arctic, “litter and plastics pose significant threats to wildlife,” since animals can become entangled or ingest the garbage, PAME said. This debris can also accumulate in the environment and lead to microplastics infiltrating the food web and leeching chemicals into the environment.
“Marine debris is a significant and growing problem for the people and wildlife in this region. The distance between communities and often harsh conditions compounds these impacts by making removal and proper disposal difficult and costly,” explained Kristina Tirman, arctic marine debris manager at Ocean Conservancy. “Collaborative efforts to share knowledge, strategies, and solutions are essential to making progress on this issue. The Arctic Cleanup project has been an important initiative for fostering international cooperation and partnership.”
As of 2023, the Arctic Cleanup Project had completed 74 campaigns with 2,080 volunteers and had collected more than 116,000 pounds of garbage, according to a press release from Keep Norway Beautiful. Cleanup projects in 2023 were carried out in Finnmark, Iceland, Greenland and Alaska, mostly in July, and Keep Norway Beautiful mentioned several challenges clean-up efforts in the region face, including limited access to waste management and scattered populations.
Going forward, PAME said the Arctic Cleanup hopes to build a network of local organizations, communities and tribes to participate in the clean-up projects.
“By connecting like this, we hope to make everyone feel less alone in the fight against marine litter, even with the long distances and sparse populations,” said the working group. It also said ongoing data collection will help increase understanding of the issue and guide strategy.
One form of data collection regarding pollution in the Arctic is the Plastic in a Bottle project that began in 2019. A plastic bottle with a GPS transmitter was launched into sea ice to simulate how marine litter travels. These bottles also contain instructions for the people who find them. Last summer, the seventh bottle was launched.
“The capsule was tossed into the ocean at 84 degrees north during a research cruise for students and early career scientists by the Norwegian Polar Institute on the icebreaker RV Kronprins Haakon,” said PAME. After it was launched in August, the GPS signal went quiet, which indicates that it possibly became embedded in sea ice.
As of summer 2024, two of the seven bottles had washed ashore. One was launched from Iceland the other was launched from Svalbard, but both washed ashore in the Isle of Tiree in Scotland. A map related to the plastic bottle research is available here.
“There are many ways that plastic can make its way into and around the Arctic, whether it’s from rivers, wind, ocean currents or other means,” said Elizabeth McLanahan, director at NOAA and vice-chair of PAME. “Plastic in a Bottle is a way to help the public visualize how an item of trash – perhaps their water bottle left at a picnic or even on a tourist boat – can travel miles away and affect the marine environment.”
Last month, the Polar Maritime Seminar was held in London, U.K. During the seminar, researchers presented findings that one out of every three items found on Arctic beaches are related to fisheries. They also said most fishing gear litter on Arctic beaches can be prevented and offered ways to cut down on litter in the region.