Of islands, pollution, and the path toward ‘deplasticization’
By Lucía Norris (Galapagos Conservation Trust)
Over six years ago, at Galapagos Conservation Trust, together with the Galapagos National Park Directorate (DPNG in Spanish) and local partners, we created the Plastic Pollution-Free Galapagos Network with the goal of understanding where the plastic waste washing up on our shores was coming from.
At the time, it was believed that most of this waste originated in Asia, carried by ocean currents, since we found bottles and wrappers with labels in Asian languages. We soon realized that if we truly wanted to help solve this problem, we needed to look beyond Galapagos. Plastic pollution is a global crisis.
That is how we joined forces with the University of Exeter to create the Pacific Plastics: Science to Solutions (PPSS) network, with the mission of understanding and addressing plastic pollution in the Tropical Eastern Pacific. Today, this network brings together more than 40 organizations and over 80 representatives from governments, NGOs, academia, and the private sector—both local and international.
Thanks to research conducted by PPSS in collaboration with the GNPD, we’ve been able to identify the main sources of plastic pollution affecting Galapagos and its impacts on biodiversity
Island connections: a common voice against a shared problem
In 2023, we were invited by Rapa Nui to the Pacific Leaders Summit to address plastic pollution, where we presented our findings. The experience was eye-opening: Pacific islands face similar challenges, and connecting with them enables us to exchange knowledge, share solutions, and build a united voice.
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Some of the shared lessons between islands like Galapagos, Rapa Nui, and the Juan Fernández Archipelago are:
- Plastic waste knows no borders or protected areas.
In Galapagos, despite having two marine reserves and strict controls to protect biodiversity, plastic continue to arrive via ocean currents. According to PPSS, more than 40% of the plastic waste collected comes from fishing fleets, primarily from Asia. The rest comes from mainland Ecuador, Peru, and, during certain seasons, Panama. Islands are bearing an unfair burden of pollution they don’t generate. Rapa Nui, Juan Fernández, and even distant islands like those in Indonesia face similar challenges.
- Dependence on imports and limited waste management.
Most products arriving on our islands are packaged in single-use plastics. Once consumed, these containers become waste that must be managed by municipal systems, which are often under-resourced. While some recyclable plastics can be sent to the mainland, this depends on available logistics—whether by air or sea. Non-recyclable plastics, on the other hand, accumulate in landfills or end up in nature, harming both human and ecological health. In Galapagos, studies show that one-third of incoming plastic becomes waste.
- Tourism: A double-edged sword.
Tourism, a key driver of our island economies, also puts pressure on basic services—waste management included. While many islands have focused on strategies to close the loop (such as remanufacturing and recycling), it is equally important to slow it down (through reusing and repairing) and narrow it (by reducing and rejecting waste altogether).
- Limited access to potable water.
The lack of access to safe drinking water on many islands encourages reliance on of single-use plastic bottles, further exacerbating the problem.
Mingas by the sea
Simon Berger
The path toward ‘deplasticization’
Today, thanks to the efforts of local authorities and the PPSS network, we have enough scientific evidence to contribute to the design of solutions that tackle pollution at its source. Meanwhile, we also support mitigation strategies such as coastal clean-ups to help deal with current impacts.
We firmly believe that reuse systems and returnability—on the mainland, in fishing fleets, and in Galapagos—are essential components of the roadmap to a plastic-free future for our islands. We can no longer afford to wait to “turn off the tap” that allows this pollution to keep reaching our shores.
Local experiences and returnability as a cross-cutting solution
Since 2012, Galapagos has had regulations banning single-use plastics, though implementation has had mixed results. A key milestone was the 2019 agreement between the Galapagos Governing Council and companies like Arca Continental (Coca-Cola’s bottler in Ecuador), which committed to selling only returnable beverage containers in the archipelago.
Other national companies have followed suit. Brands like Pilsener (national beer) and Güitig (sparkling water) now sell beverages in returnable containers in the islands. Locally, there are initiatives such as craft breweries that collect their bottles for reuse, potable water sold in returnable jugs, kombucha in returnable bottles, and innovative projects like Iguana Cup, which promoted reusable cups in various island cafés.
There are even entrepreneurs selling canned tuna in returnable glass jars, transforming used bottles into drinking glasses for restaurants and homes, or creating return systems for reusable food transport bags. One revealing fact: containers from these local brands are almost never found in landfills—unlike those from large national and multinational companies.
Galapagos has enormous potential to implement reuse and return systems that can make a real difference, especially in such a fragile environment. In fact, these practices aren’t new. This is how we used to live: our mothers took baskets to the market, we used glass bottles for milk, we returned containers. Reuse and return systems show us the future by wisely looking back to the past.
The time is now
The evidence is clear: if we want to protect our islands—and the planet—we must address the root of the problem. While cleaning coastlines and beaches is essential to prevent plastic from turning into microplastic and causing further contamination, cleaning alone isn’t enough; we must turn off the tap of plastic pollution!
From Galapagos, we are convinced that collaboration between science, local communities, governments, and the private sector can pave the way towards ‘deplasticization’. The solution is in our hands: reduce, reject, reuse, and return.
We call on all people, institutions, and brands: let’s join forces. Let’s invest in sustainable systems, commit to responsible consumption models, and support local initiatives. The future of the islands—and of all of us—depends on what we begin to do today.