Plastic in a Bottle: Live Map (2024)

The latest Plastic in a Bottle launch is the seventh capsule released since the project started in 2019, and the first one launched around sea ice. The capsule was tossed into the ocean at 84 degrees north during a research cruise for students and early career scientists by the Norwegian Polar Institute on the icebreaker RV Kronprins Haakon.

“According to our knowledge of the area, we anticipate the capsule will drift westward into the Fram Strait, and possibly reach Greenland or Iceland,” said Ole Arve Misund, Director of the Norwegian Polar Institute. “We will track its movements as it drifts along with the sea ice before it is released in the area of the Fram Strait where the ice is melting rapidly.”

Plastic debris can be found on Arctic beaches, in the water column, in sea ice, sediments and even in the bodies of Arctic birds and mammals.

“There are many ways that plastic can make its way into and around the Arctic, whether it’s from rivers, wind, ocean currents or other means,” said Elizabeth McLanahan, Director at NOAA and Vice-Chair of PAME, who was on board the research cruise and tossed the capsule into the sea. “Plastic in a Bottle is a way to help the public visualize how an item of trash – perhaps their water bottle left at a picnic or even on a tourist boat – can travel miles away and affect the marine environment.”

On 31. May 2021, a special capsule was launched at sea, some 25 miles West of the island of Texel in the Netherlands. The live position of this 'Plastic in a Bottle' capsule can be tracked online and shows the route that plastic waste may travel once it enters the North Sea.

Researcher Wouter Jan Strietman: “Not many people realise what happens to 'our' plastic waste once it enters the North Sea. To see where plastic waste may travel from the Netherlands, our collaboration partner Eelco Leemans of Leeways Marine released a special 'Plastic in a Bottle' capsule from a sailing ship some 25 miles West of the island of Texel in the Netherlands. We invite the public to follow the journey of this capsule with us online”.

“Under the influence of wind and sea currents, this capsule may travel to a nearby beach or, who knows, perhaps even to the Arctic. This is certainly a possibility, since every year, substantial amounts of plastic are transported there from Western Europe and North America. This accumulation of plastics poses a threat to nature, shipping safety and tourism in the region. In the Arctic Marine Litter Project, we are doing more extensive research into the origin and causes of marine litter in the Arctic, helping stakeholders in the region to prevent it at the source”, says Strietman.

The capsule was released to raise public awareness about plastic waste that ends up in the Arctic and the need for action to stop this. The ’Plastic in a Bottle’ communication project is an initiative by the Arctic Council’s Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment Working Group (PAME). The launch of this capsule was organised by Wageningen University & Research and Leeways Marine, in collaboration with PAME and the Dutch Government, who funds the capsule. Once washed ashore, a message inside the capsule will instruct the finder what to do and who to contact.”

Plastic in a bottle sent two new capsules during June 2021 in collaboration with a project “Northern Marine Litter” in Finland and the Norwegian Polar Institute. The project is funded by the Finland’s Ministry for Foreign affairs, and it aims to enhance research and monitoring collaboration between Finland, the Baltic and Arctic states.

The Baltic Sea is a semi-enclosed marginal Arctic Sea freezing over annually and with high pressure from the human activities on the marine environment. Marine litter is also a recognized environmental problem in the Baltic. One of the buoys will be released in the Northern Baltic Sea during an annual research cruise on research vessel R/V Aranda by the Finnish Environment Institute. From the Baltic buoy it is possible to follow the transport of marine litter in a relatively densely populated and closed marine system compared to the Arctic.

A second marine litter capsule funded by Finland was launched in collaboration with the Norwegian Polar Institute from their research cruise west of Svalbard at 77.2725 N and 11.4687 E. The capsule was deployed by Ida Kristin Danielsen from the Norwegian Polar Institute, who works with PAME-related issues at the NPI management department. The capsule started its journey on 23th June and has travelled with current fast, even over 30 km per day and is now north of 80 latitude.

The Svalbard launch is the northernmost for the Plastic in a bottle project so far and will give highlight high Arctic transport routes for marine litter.