Plastic to outnumber fish in ocean by 2050: Russian Deputy PM

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
21 Jan 15:03

Businesses in Russia have begun to invest resources into the creation of recycling facilities in an attempt to reverse the trend.

The volume of plastic in the ocean is expected surpass the amount of fish by 2050. (AFP)

By 2050, the volume of plastic in the ocean will surpass the amount of fish in the oceans, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Viktoria Abramchenko told Sputnik on Saturday.

This forecast was predicted on the basis of current levels of consumption rate, with around 10 million tonnes of plastic waste thrown into the ocean every year.

"It is just horrible when each banana and candy is in a separate package. And it is us who has made it all together as consumers … This could lead to disaster: 10 million tons of plastic ends up in the ocean every year, and by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish if people continue to consume like this," Abramchenko said, adding that the government's is tasked with promoting recycling in businesses.

"Waste sorting has already become a standard project that the regions have learned to implement. Meanwhile, the creation of utilization capacities remains a difficult task and my role is to remind all participants of the process that we must lower the waste burial twice," Abramchenko said, noting the urgent necessity of changing the culture of consumption to reach this target.

Abramchenko also said that Russian businesses are prepared to launch new recycling tech ventures.

So far, 25 companies have contracted deals for the construction of 44 facilities at the recently created eco-industrial parks under the new project dubbed "Circular Economy."