Plastic pollution

Photo by April Benze.

Plastic pollution is choking our waterways and threatening the health of fish and wildlife. We are collecting plastic and microplastic data as part of our community-oriented water pollution monitoring program. We are collaborating on research projects with universities, governments and experts in the field. We are providing advice to local, regional and federal governments on plastic science, policies, and regulations. We are working with Ocean Diagnostics to support a strong science-based foundation for solutions.

Lots of garbage on a beach.
Photo by Simon Ager.
People working together to take samples of water in jars.
Photo by Alex Harris / Raincoast Conservation Foundation.

Our approach

  • Design a source identification toolbox for plastic pollution; 
  • Working with Indigenous and coastal communities to document plastic pollution and track this back to its source;
  • Conduct research on the source, transport and fate of micro and macroplastics in the environment;
  • Engage in outside-the-box dialogue with industry and governments to support more sustainable design, manufacturing and processes that stem the release of plastics during the life cycle of a product;
  • Support community-oriented outreach and training to support solution-oriented actions and capacity building.

Plastics are everywhere

Plastics from just about every sector can now be found all over the world – from mountain tops to the seafloor, from the Arctic to the Antarctic, and from our homes to the ocean. A modern-day scourge that is blighting remote beaches and shorelines, getting mistaken for food by wildlife, and getting into the foods that nourish us. Whether it’s the structural features of plastic products that suffocate, entangle, or create intestinal blockages – or the endocrine disrupting-contaminants that serve as ingredients of the product (e.g. Bisphenol A or phthalate esters) or as hitchhikers soaked up by plastics in the environment (e.g. PCBs or metals) – plastics are harmful.

Underwater photo of plastic floating near the top of the water.
Chinook salmon swim in a river as seen from head on; epic.
Photo by Fernando Lessa.

The impact on the environment

Without a dramatic re-think, the plastic crisis is here to stay. Despite the best intentions of governments, industry, and consumers to reduce, recycle or re-use, global plastic production continues to enjoy exponential growth. And the unintentional loss to the environment of plastic products and byproducts will continue – plastic bags, bottles, and fishing gear, as well as the discharge of microplastics through domestic and industrial waste. With that will come a constant stream of items that will be mistaken for food but offer zero nutrition, that will entangle wildlife, and will deliver endocrine disruptors to our aquatic food webs. We will document impacts, share findings, and work for change through science, community engagement, and expert advice.

Recent articles

Through the hazy orange and yellow light of an underwater river scence, a salmon emerges, looking a little haggard, mouth open.

Rethinking fisheries

Raincoast has long argued that ocean fisheries removing “yields” of intercepted salmon on migration routes are not sustainable into the future.
Shauna Doll and Brooke Gerle put a measuring tape around a giant tree in the rainforest, surrounded by ferns.

Conserving and restoring Coastal Douglas-fir forests

We’re now establishing long term monitoring and sampling protocols, developing management plans, and carrying out active restoration.
The Raincoast Fraser River Estuary team stands out in the water during low tide, measuring salmon flow.

Fraser Estuary research and restoration

Raincoast is undertaking a multi-year initiative that began in 2016 to conduct research and restore habitat in the Fraser River Estuary.
Wolves walk out onto a muddy flat during a low tide, on the central coast, surrounded by giant forests and some eagles or hawks flap in the foreground.

The science and ethics of wolf conservation

Marked by a long history of persecution and astonishing resilience, wolves continue to be in the crosshairs of both the public and policymakers.
A Grizzly bear stands in the river with a giant salmon in their mouth and paws, water spalshing all about with grass and rocks in the background.

Standing our ground and recognizing a broader horizon

Applied science in its most productive form requires a commitment to acknowledging – and communicating – difficult realities.
Hexagons filled with whales and other illustrated marine animals as well as maps and machinery lay on top of a beautiful Rocky Mountain lake scene.

The Global Plastic Pollution Treaty negotiations failed: What this means for microplastic pollution in Canada’s environment

Over two decades of scientific research reveals that microfibres are the predominant form of microplastics contaminating virtually all reaches of our planet.