Plastic Pollution and Wildlife Welfare

Plastic pollution causes welfare harms to wildlife through entanglement, ingestion and chemical contamination affecting species from marine megafauna to terrestrial invertebrates.

Key Facts

An estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean annually, affecting 800+ marine species
Entanglement in plastic debris causes strangulation, drowning and restriction of movement and feeding in seals, turtles and seabirds
Microplastics are now found in the gut contents of virtually all marine species tested
Plastic bag ingestion causes intestinal blockage — a cause of slow starvation in sea turtles and whales
Hedgehogs, foxes and badgers regularly become entangled in plastic packaging, causing serious injuries

Welfare Considerations

Plastic pollution causes welfare harms across an enormous range of species and environments. Marine wildlife face entanglement in plastic debris — fishing nets, packaging straps, plastic rings — that causes strangulation, drowning and the inability to feed or move normally. Ingestion of plastic causes intestinal blockage, false satiety and chemical toxin exposure. Terrestrial wildlife face entanglement in garden and food packaging. These harms affect individual animal welfare directly and immediately, while the systemic pollution creating them affects ecosystems at scale. Reducing plastic production and improving plastic waste management are the most impactful interventions, supplemented by direct wildlife entanglement response.

What You Can Do

Reduce single-use plastic consumption as a direct wildlife welfare action
Cut apart plastic packaging rings and packaging straps before disposal to reduce entanglement risk
Support extended producer responsibility legislation requiring manufacturers to manage plastic waste
Participate in beach and waterway clean-up activities to remove plastic before it harms wildlife