Influence of waste management policy on the characteristics of beach litter in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

- First study to compare beach litter survey with waste management on land.
- First beach litter survey performed by academic researchers in Taiwan.
- Certain marine litter can be greatly reduced if better managed on land.
- Policy implication for management was explored with beach litter survey results.

Marine debris is a ubiquitous problem that poses a serious threat to the global oceans; it has motivated public participation in clean-up campaigns, as well as governmental involvement in developing mitigation strategies. While it is known that the problem of marine litter may be affected by waste management practices on land, beach survey results have seldom been compared with them. In this study, marine litter surveys on four beaches of Cijin Island were conducted to explore the effects of waste management and policy implications. Indirect evidence shows that chances for land-based litter, such as plastic bags and bottles, entering the marine environment can be greatly decreased if they can be properly reduced, reused and recycled. We suggest that mitigation measures should focus on source reduction, waste recycling and management, utilizing effective economic instruments, and pursuing a long-term public education campaign to raise the public awareness of this problem.