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

Young spotted owl in a tree.

The story of Coastal Douglas-fir forests: All about owls

As the worst fire season in Canadian historyーdriven by climate change, ecosystem fragmentation, and long-term land-use mismanagementーdecimates forests across the country, species-at-risk biologist Jared Hobbs reflects sadly on the dramatic decline of Northern Spotted Owls and Western Screech-owls across British Columbia. Habitat loss is central to this story. Old-growth logging has reduced the number of…
Three killer whales swimming near the surface of the water.

Letter in Science identifies the contradiction between protecting economic growth and biodiversity in Canada’s Fraser River Estuary 

The letter, asking whether Canada will permit killer whale extinction, identifies Canada’s conflicting aspirations and obligations to protect biodiversity while continuing to permit megaprojects that destroy the critical habitat of threatened and endangered species.
Human standing on the peak of the mountain during a sunset.

A ‘supersized’ ecological niche for humans

New research examining the ecological niche of humans shows that over one third of all vertebrate species on Earth are now being used by people.
Suzie Hall scuba diving with some anemones.

Meet Suzie Hall, Raincoast’s new NoiseTracker Technician

Suzie Hall has joined our Cetacean Conservation Research team to assist with our new NoiseTracker initiative.
A school of salmon as seen from below in the Fraser River.

We supported the US District Court decision to halt the Southeast Alaska troll fishery, but the US appeal court did not

Last week, Raincoast sent a letter in support of the US District court decision to halt the Southeast Alaska troll fishery during the summer and winter seasons. The SEAK troll targets migrating Chinook, over 90% of which are not salmon from Alaska. These Chinook are prey for endangered Southern Resident killer whales as they migrate…
Wolf standing on a shoreline.

Wolf Stories: Reflections on science, ethics, and moral practice (Part 2)

Drs. Michael Paul Nelson, John A. Vucetich, and Joseph Bump share their insights on ethics and moral practice in conservation and how to think through scientific and ethical issues, particularly those related to the conservation and lethal management of wolves. This is the second in a two-part interview. Michael is an environmental scholar, writer, teacher,…
Chinook salmon next to each other in a river.

We support the US District Court decision to halt the Southeast Alaska troll fishery

This letter was written by Raincoast Wild Salmon Program Director Misty MacDuffee in support of the US District Court decision to halt the Southeast Alaska troll fishery during the summer and winter seasons.
Killer whales surface in Active Pass.

Join us on Pender Island to discuss culture, genes, conservation, and the future of Southern Resident killer whales

Join Raincoast scientists, Dr. Valeria Vergara, Misty MacDuffee and Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard, for Below the surface: Culture, genes, conservation, and the future of Southern Resident killer whales.