Ocean Dumping: What Is It? And Is It Actually Legal?

Oct 6

Single-use plastic waste piled up on the shore with fishing boat in the background. — *Photo Courtesy of AA Sciences.*

Did you know that the ocean used to be treated as a landfill?

Up until 1972, things like petroleum, radioactive waste, and sewage sludge were dumped straight into the ocean without a second thought.

In this article, you’ll learn what ocean dumping is, its harmful side effects, and if we’re doing any better at stopping it in 2022.

What Is Ocean Dumping?

Ocean dumping is just what it sounds like: Dumping things into the ocean.

And up until the early 70s, it was legal. Until finally, in October of 1972, Congress passed the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA), AKA the Ocean Dumping Act.

In a nutshell, this Act rolled out a new U.S. policy: The dumping of materials that would negatively impact human health or marine life would finally be regulated. (Rather than overlooked as it had been for hundreds of years.)

Single-use plastic trash piled up along the shoreline with ships in the background. — *Photo Courtesy of The Guardian.*

So, What Was Dumped Into the Ocean Before 1972?

To date, there is no record of what was dumped into the ocean before 1972. But we have a pretty good idea. Here’s a list of items (along with how many tons) that were likely dumped into the ocean before 1972 (1)…

100 million tons of petroleum products
2 to 4 million tons of acid chemical wastes from pulp mills
Over one million tons of heavy metals in industrial wastes
Over 100,000 tons of organic chemical wastes
38 million tons of dredged material (34% of which was polluted)
4.5 million tons of industrial waste
4.5 million tons of sewage sludge (significantly contaminated with heavy metals)
0.5 million tons of construction and demolition debris
Nearly 90,000 containers of radioactive waste

15 Types of Waste That the Ocean Dumping Act Prohibits

The Ocean Dumping Act prohibits the following items from being dumped into the ocean (2):

Dredged material (AKA sediment that’s removed from the bottom of navigable waters to maintain navigation channels and docks)
Solid waste
Incinerator residue
Garbage
Sewage
Sewage sludge
Munitions
Radiological, chemical, and biological warfare agents
Radioactive materials, chemicals, biological and laboratory waste
Medical waste
Wreck or discarded equipment
Rock
Sand
Construction and demolition debris
Industrial, municipal, agricultural, and other waste

Reddish orange ship spewing out sewage into the ocean. — *Photo Courtesy of the International Institute for Sustainable Development.*

Side Effects of Ocean Dumping

When waste and other random materials are disposed of in the ocean, three main issues can arise…

Marine life degrades: Coral reefs filter microplastics, causing a blockage in their digestive tract. Sea turtles mistakenly consume plastic bags (thinking that it’s a jellyfish). And sea birds become entangled in plastic six-pack rings (3). These are just a few ways that waste harms sea life.
Human health risks arise: Many nations rely on marine life as food. This once-healthy food source has now become problematic due to the increasing amount of sealife that has accidentally consumed plastic, chemicals, and other toxic waste.
Navigation and fishing areas become polluted, which ties us back to issues number one and two (4).

Sea turtle swimming in the ocean toward a plastic bag that looks like a jellyfish.

Are We Doing Any Better? 1972 Versus Present-Day

Yes and no…

Yes, thanks to:

Ocean Cleanups: Like The Ocean Cleanup, who’s projects are expected to remove 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040.
Fun, Educational Social Media Accounts: Like @trashcaulin, @kaizenwithcaroline, @relauren, and @goingzerowaste that spread awareness about waste, ocean conservation, and plastic-free product swaps.
Refill Shops: This makes reusing the same bottles and jars a breeze. Refill on household and toiletry items like all-purpose cleaner and window cleaner, laundry detergent and dish soap, shampoo and conditioner, and more.
Eco-Friendly Voters: Individuals who not only vote, but persistently nudge our representatives via phone and email to make impactful changes.
Resources That Help You Offset Your Carbon Footprint: Companies like Climate Neutral and Carbon Neutral and apps like Aerial and Capture.
Companies That Are Revolutionizing the Way Products Are Made (AKA plastic-free): Like Leaf, Pela, and Bite.

No, because:

8 million tonnes of plastic are floating in our oceans at this very moment (5).
In 2016, the United States generated the largest amount of plastic waste out of any country in the world—and approximately 900 pounds of it was illegally dumped into the ocean (6).
If you have the required permit, you can still dump dredged material into the ocean (7). This is problematic because it negatively impacts marine life through habitat removal, noise, moving of contaminants, and sedimentation (8).

Side by side pie charts breaking down the amount and type of plastic debris floating in the ocean. Soured from The Ocean Cleanup.

Next Steps

So what can you do to make sure waste doesn’t end up in our oceans? Well, there are two action items…

The first action item is to prevent ocean waste from happening in the first place. This will take time, strategy, and effort from everyone. However, one of the first things we can work toward is eliminating many of the single-use plastic items that people absentmindedly use every single day (think: water bottles and plastic bags). Here are 38 plastic-free products swaps that you can make today.

The second action item is to get your hands dirty and clean the waste up. At least once a week, I pick up trash at a nearby beach. It’s always the same half-mile stretch of sand. And every single time, I fill up an entire bag (see my Instagram for proof). The most popular pieces of trash that I pick up are plastic bottles, bottle caps, cigarette butts, small plastics from sandcastle toys, and food wrappers (think: Doritos bags and string cheese wrappers). By picking up a piece (or bag) of trash, you’re reducing the chances that it ends up in the ocean. It doesn’t take much time on your end, but it has the potential to save the life of sea creatures, big and small.

Those are just two things that you can do to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our ocean. Share YOUR act of sustainability on social media with the hashtag #kaizeningtheworld.

**Caroline Nicks**

On a mission to leave places better than she found them, Caroline spends her time with her hubs and parti poodle researching how to live a less wasteful life, picking up trash on her beach walks, and tending to her 32 houseplants.

8 Scientific Sources

EnvironmentTrashOcean Conservation

Caroline Nicks

Hi! I’m Caroline. A big fan of camping under the stars. Leaving places better than I found them. And starting written conversations about how we can mend our relationship with Mother Earth. Follow along to stay in the conversation—and add your bit too.

https://www.forpeopleandplanet.com