Perceptions About Marine Anthropogenic Litter & Microplastic Pollution in Ireland

Abstract

Thank you for your interest in this booklet which provides an insight into the current perceptions about marine litter and plastic pollution in Ireland. The results presented here are based on an online survey conducted between March and May 2019 to 320 anonymous respondents living in Ireland. The survey is part of the research project Managing for Microplastics: A Baseline to Inform Policy Stakeholders (IMP.act) and the respondents represent diverse sectors in the country such as waste managers, national and local authorities, academic researchers, coastal tourism and fisheries representatives, members of non governmental organisations (NGOs) and recreational users such as surfers, divers, beachgoers and sailors. Broad trends presented here were done with the consent of participants and data gathered for this project follows the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 ("GDPR") guidelines. The main aim of this booklet is to assess current knowledge about the topic from the stakeholder’s perceptions, particularly in relation to plastic production, consumption and recycling. Understanding societal perceptions around environmental issues, such as plastic pollution is vital to develop a successful strategy and to develop mitigation measures for decisive solutions. The dissemination of the findings is very important to us. To maximise the benefit of the research carried out, the results of the survey will be disseminated to the key actors tackling plastic pollution, will allow citizens to make more informed decisions, will help advocates who are working to find consensus on national policies and strategies on marine litter and microplastic pollution and many more. Providing this data to policy makers can potentially help to contribute to strategic plans that want to align public perception with societal behavioural change.