Handbook of Survey Methodology Plastics Leakage (developed for CSIRO Global Plastic Pollution Baseline Project). Version 1.4.

Abstract

We are using field sampling to measure, and mathematical modelling to estimate, the distribution and movement of plastic waste near urban centres, along waterways, on the coastline and in the ocean. We are designing robust sampling plans tailored for each country involved. These plans can be adapted for other participating countries. These data will comprise a comprehensive dataset of plastics on land, along rivers, at the coastal interface, and in the ocean for major coastal cities around the world. We will use these data with statistical models to produce maps that highlight the plumes of plastic emerging from urban centres and nearby areas. We will then estimate the amount of plastic from the plumes that is lost to the open ocean or redeposited back to land. This Handbook provides detail on the various survey methodologies used by CSIRO’s team that focus on plastic pollution on land and at sea – in upland, riverine, coastal and marine environments. We invite you to follow our methodologies in order to develop consistent, robust datasets across various geographies that can be used in understanding waste or debris flows from land to the ocean.