How To Investigate Plastic in the Ocean

Authors:

Fernanda Buffa
Pulitzer Center Staff

Maria Dalby
Guest Contributor

SECTIONS

ocean pollution — Image by Rich Carey/Shutterstock.

The ocean is filled with items that do not belong there. It is estimated that one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute worldwide and 75 to 199 million tons of plastic are currently in ocean waters.

In April, during the last Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) to advance a global plastics treaty, a team from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) found that fossil fuel lobbyists outnumbered national delegations, scientists, and Indigenous peoples at the treaty negotiations.

Investigating lobbying efforts on plastic requires a thorough understanding of both the political and corporate landscapes surrounding plastic production, regulation, and environmental impact. Journalists need to employ a combination of research, data analysis, and source-building. There are many ways to approach an investigation on plastic:

1. Identify key stakeholders

Plastic manufacturers and industry associations: Identify major players in the plastic industry, such as manufacturers of single-use plastics, petrochemical companies, and trade associations.
Environmental advocacy groups: Research groups advocating against plastic use or for stricter regulations, such as Plastic Pollution Coalition, Greenpeace, and Oceana.
Legislators and regulators: Identify lawmakers and government agencies involved in drafting or enforcing plastic regulations (e.g., EPA, UNEP, and EU Parliament).
Stakeholders that will be a part of the INC-5 negotiation: The Scientist Coalition, the High Ambition Coalition, and the Business Coalition.

2. Research lobbying efforts

Government lobbying databases: In many countries, lobbying efforts must be reported. Journalists can use databases such as:
- OpenSecrets and VoteWatch Europe: Databases that can help identify which politicians receive significant campaign donations from the plastic industry.
- EU Transparency Register: Tracks lobbying efforts in the European Union.
- U.S. Senate Lobbying Disclosure Database: This offers detailed reports on how much money companies and organizations spend on lobbying and what issues they are lobbying for, including plastics.
Freedom of information requests: In many countries, journalists can file requests to access internal government records, communications, and meeting logs that reveal the influence of lobbying on specific legislation.

3. Investigate companies

Corporate environmental reports: Many companies produce reports on their environmental impact. Investigating discrepancies between these reports and lobbying efforts to weaken plastic regulations can reveal contradictions or hidden agendas.
Trade agreements: Investigate how global trade agreements, such as those between the U.S. and developing countries, influence plastic production and recycling, and whether these agreements were influenced by lobbyists.
Third-party research: Compare industry-sponsored research on plastic waste with independent scientific research to identify biased or misleading claims used in lobbying efforts.

After journalists have adopted these approaches, they can follow bills and policies related to plastic, especially those that propose bans or restrictions on plastic use and compare the outcomes of these bills with known lobbying efforts by industry players.

Data and mapping tools

Global Plastics Watch: A platform that uses satellite imagery to track and visualize plastic waste pollution in the ocean globally.
The Ocean Cleanup's Interceptor: Shows data about rivers and how much mismanaged plastic per year they carry.
Marine Debris Tracker: Provides data on where plastic debris is collected and can track the movement of ocean plastics.

Research databases

NOAA Marine Debris Program: Offers data, resources, and information on marine debris.
Pew Charitable Trusts and Systemiq Breaking the Plastic Wave: Provides comprehensive research on plastic pollution and its impacts on marine environments.
UNEP Reports: Shares detailed reports on plastic pollution and its environmental impacts, including in the ocean.
IPCC Reports: While primarily focused on climate, they also cover the impact of plastics and pollutants in marine environments.
Global Partnership on Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter: A multi-stakeholder partnership which brings together all the actors working on marine litter and plastic pollution prevention and reduction.

Experts on plastic and plastic pollution

While reporting on plastic, it is important to build a network of sources. Industry insiders, consultants, regulators and activists can provide insights into the industry and lobbying strategies. Below we have compiled a list of academics and research institutions that can collaborate with journalists:

University of Plymouth – International Marine Litter Research Unit
Scientific Publications curated by The Ocean CleanUp
GRID-Arendal reports and material on the INC-process
- Lars Stordal, global plastics treaty expert, [email protected]
- Ieva Rucevska, climate impacts of plastics expert, [email protected]
- Swati Singh Sambyal, sustainability expert, [email protected]
- Thomas Maes, plastics scientist, [email protected]

Register for our upcoming webinar “How To Investigate Plastic in the Ocean” on September 26, 2024, at 2:00pm CEST, organized in partnership with GRID-Arendal.