Central American Beaches Are Being Overrun With Local and Foreign Plastic
1 min read
Summary
Coca-Cola and Powerade bottles from the early 2000s have been found on Latin American beaches, according to a new macro study, the first of its kind covering 10 countries and examining plastics found across 12,000 km of coastline.
It found that plastic bottles labelled in Spanish were most commonly found, indicating their local origin was to blame for the rise in pollution.
Central American countries were the most affected due to a combination of factors including coastal population density, high consumption of bottled drinks and poor waste management, but rising temperatures were also a driving factor.
To combat the issue, the study’s authors have recommended the reintroduction of returnable, standardised bottles to be complemented by refund policies.
