ASSESSMENT OF BEACH LITTER ALONG THE COAST: CASE STUDY OF THE CITY OF CADIZ (SPAIN)

Abstract

The United Nations Environment Program defines as waste all the persistent marine debris deposited or abandoned in the sea (marine litter) and beach (beach litter) environment. Thus including all substances or products abandoned or involuntarily dispersed into the sea or on the coastline. It has been estimated that, all around the world, about 10 million tons of waste coming from domestic, commercial and industrial activities reach the seas every year. Moreover, waste floating adrift in the seas and oceans can be carried very far away, reaching different places from the ones they were originated. Further, damage may result to various human activities and equipment, such as navigation, energy production, aquaculture, tourism. In order to identify interventions aimed at reducing the effects of waste inside the sea, an accurate waste characterization both in terms of quantity and quality (composition) is required. The paper reports the results of a study that aimed at characterize the beach litter in the coast of Cadiz, a city in the south-western of Spain. A multivariate cluster analysis was performed to group observed items in dendrograms - obtained on the basis of the frequency on which each type of litter items was found on the beaches in different periods of the year. Results obtained in this study could be adopted as a support to optimize the solid waste collection services and to identify their appropriate fate (recovery and/or disposal). Furthermore, the prevention of waste production, by means of a better organization of the involved activities, can also be obtained.