Original article: Colillas de cigarro y plásticos de un solo uso son los desechos que más siguen contaminando las playas de Chile
A study conducted by the «Scientists of Waste» program from the Universidad Católica del Norte, supported by Oceana Chile, analyzed waste composition across 60 beaches in the country, confirming that cigarette butts, plastic bags, and single-use plastics remain prevalent along the Chilean coast.
Approximately 500 volunteers participated in the waste collection efforts nationwide, analyzing 860 sampling images, which facilitated the understanding of waste composition and abundance on the beaches.
Of the more than 2,100 plastic items recorded, 1,006 fell into these three categories.
Cigarette butts were the most numerous, totaling 757 units (75.2%) and found on 46 out of the 60 beaches surveyed. They were followed by single-use plastics (SUP), with 170 items (16.9%), detected on 41 beaches, and plastic bags, which totaled 79 items (7.9%) across 30 beaches.
Regionally, the study revealed significant variations: Magallanes reported considerably higher proportions of plastic bags, while Los Ríos and Biobío showed greater concentrations of single-use plastics. Conversely, the regions of Valparaíso and Coquimbo had higher incidences of cigarette butts.
Nelson Vásquez, director of Scientists of Waste, remarked that these findings «highlight the necessity for systematic and periodic marine debris monitoring programs that can assess the real effectiveness of existing regulations, identify gaps in their implementation, and support evidence-based decision-making for future management and enforcement measures.»
State of Degradation
Regarding the state of degradation, no significant differences were found between the abundance of whole versus fragmented plastic bags and SUP items, suggesting a coexistence of both old and new waste on the beaches, with recent items likely appearing after the implementation of current laws.
In terms of whole products, there were significantly higher levels of utensils, cups, lids, and containers, while fragmented materials notably included plastic bags and remnants of foam cups/bowls.
Oceana reminded that the single-use plastics law (Law 21,368) prohibits the distribution of straws, utensils, stirrers, and foam items in all food service establishments across the country.
«This regulation responded to the need to curb pollution from single-use plastic waste, with an estimated use of over 23,000 tons annually in food service locations in Chile,» pointed out the NGO.
However, Tania Rheinen, deputy executive director of Oceana in Chile, added, «we see how products already banned in restaurants and food service places continue to appear on the beaches, raising concerns about enforcement, particularly in coastal regions.»
In 2022, Law 21,413 was enacted, aiming to reduce environmental contamination from cigarette butts and filters, especially in natural spaces such as beaches, rivers, and lakes, complementing the law known as «Goodbye Plastic Bags» (21.100), effective since August 2018, which banned their distribution in supermarkets and retail stores.
«If people and regulated venues do not understand the reasons for these laws, it will be very difficult to enforce them. Hence, education is key for regulation to have a real impact,» emphasized Josefa Araya Campano, a researcher at Scientists of Waste.
Lastly, in a positive light, it was noted that four beaches registered no presence of these three types of waste during sampling: Playa Rosada in the Los Ríos region, and Estero López, Inío, and Pangal in the Los Lagos region.
«These are ‘model beaches’ from which we could learn if specific measures are being implemented in those locations that could be replicated nationally,» Oceana representatives stated.
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El Ciudadano / Photo Credit: Diario Concepción (archive)
