When most of us imagine the Arctic, we envision vast, untouched expanses of ice and snow, with Arctic wildlife and indigenous communities battling against nothing but the elements. The image is one of isolation – nature in its purest form, far from the concerns of industrialised regions.
Yet, the reality is an entirely different picture. Sadly, the Arctic is no longer a pristine wilderness. In fact, through a mix of environmental and geographic processes, the region has become a ‘pollution sink’ for much of the world’s waste.
While for those of us living elsewhere, the Arctic is far from our daily concerns, the region holds immense importance globally. It acts as a regulator of Earth's climate, influences ocean currents, and is home to unique ecosystems and indigenous communities. Yet, despite this, the Arctic has become a destination for pollutants from all over the world, with the problem receiving little recognition from the wider global community.
This year, World Cleanup Day 2024 will shine a spotlight on the largely underreported issue of Arctic pollution, under the theme of ‘Arctic Cities & Marine Pollution’. An inaugural event for the inclusion of World Cleanup Day in the United Nations International Calendar will be hosted from Tromsø, Norway – the ‘Gateway to the Arctic’.
The aim of the event will be not only to highlight the severity of the problem, but also to showcase the pivotal role Norway is playing in addressing it, as well as the importance of taking action locally in the rest of the world. Read on for an overview of the key concepts, which will be covered in greater depth in the World Cleanup Day broadcast on Friday 20 September.
One of the lesser-known aspects of Arctic pollution is how it accumulates so intensively in such a remote region. The science behind this phenomenon is complex but fascinating. A grasp of how these processes work is crucial to understanding how the Arctic has become such a waste pollution sink, and how our waste management practices all over the world are contributing to the problem. So let’s dive in.
Ocean currents play a significant role in this issue, as many of the world’s currents, such as the North Atlantic Drift and the Bering Strait, lead towards the Arctic. As the waters travel north, they pick up waste, microplastics and other pollutants from industrial regions along the way. What’s more, once they arrive in the Arctic, the ice and snow trap the pollutants, and the cold environment slows down their degradation. This means they remain in the ecosystem for far longer and with greater toxicity than they would in warmer climates, leading to a higher concentration of pollution over time.
Another important process is known as the ‘grasshopper effect.’ Many pollutants, including those created from the incineration of waste (such as ‘POPs’), evaporate in warmer regions and are then carried north by atmospheric winds. When these chemicals reach the colder Arctic, they condense and settle, becoming trapped in an environment in which there is little likelihood of evaporation. This process repeats, as pollutants ‘hop’ from one region to another, ultimately accumulating in the Arctic due to its sub-zero temperatures.
The Arctic’s icy conditions and our changing global climate take the problem further. When waste, microplastics and other pollutants get trapped in ice and snow, they become locked in the Arctic’s layers for decades. As warming temperatures accelerate the melting of Arctic ice, these contaminants are released back into the environment, re-polluting the local waters and soil. This cycle of pollution trapping and re-release creates a perpetual loop of contamination, making the Arctic a ‘pollution sink’ for global pollution.
The effects of this high concentration of pollution take a severe toll on the Arctic's local wildlife and indigenous communities. Small organisms in the Arctic waters absorb the toxins from waste and other pollution, which get more and more concentrated as they move up the food chain. Through this process, known as ‘biomagnification’, the toxins reach dangerous levels in top predators like polar bears, seals, and even humans.
Local indigenous communities rely on marine mammals and fish for their food and livelihoods. As a result, they’re exposed to high levels of toxins, which can cause child development disorders, neurological disorders, reproductive issues, and weakened immune systems among local communities. The impacts reach beyond health too – disrupting traditional ways of life by undermining cultural practices and economic stability. When the health of local marine life is impacted, this affects hunting and fishing – essential parts of the culture, community life and the livelihoods of local people.
The impacts of Arctic pollution also extend far beyond the region. While the planet’s atmospheric circulation and ocean currents lead to higher concentrations of pollution in the Arctic than elsewhere, they also play a role in circulating from the Arctic around the world. Waste, toxins and microplastics that accumulate in the Arctic can be re-emitted into the atmosphere or re-enter global ocean currents, contaminating seafood and affecting ecosystems thousands of miles away.
The motto ‘Think global, act local’ has never been so relevant as it is to the issue of Arctic pollution. The pollution in the Arctic stems from all corners of the globe, and the impacts of that pollution reach all the way back to each of us. The focus of World Cleanup Day 2024 on Arctic cities shows the important work they are carrying out, with the aim of inspiring all of us to follow suit in our local regions.
Arctic cities face unique challenges in managing waste and pollution; their remote locations, harsh weather conditions, and lack of infrastructure make waste collection and recycling become particularly difficult. In Tromsø, for example, the local government, citizens, and organisations are facing the challenges head-on. Regular beach cleanups are organised by professional cleanup actors, local volunteers and indigenous communities, comprehensive waste sorting and recycling systems have been implemented, and research institutions based at the World Cleanup Day 2024 co-organisers building, the Fram Centre, are working hard to monitor pollution levels.
Beyond the Arctic, the government of Norway has been dedicated to cleaning up waste pollution across the country for many years. The Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund (NREF), this year’s World Cleanup Day host organisation, has pioneered the world’s first national professional cleanup program, ‘Cleanup Norway in Time’, with impressive success in reducing plastic pollution along the coastline. Public science communications from organisations such as GRID-Arendal, co-hosts of the World Cleanup Day 2024 broadcast, are also helping to raise awareness about Arctic pollution and promote responsible waste management.
But cleaning up Arctic pollution needs much more than just local efforts. With such a globally interconnected issue, there is a serious need for international cooperation. As the pollutants accumulating in the Arctic often originate far from its shores, reducing Arctic pollution requires a reduction in waste pollution from industrialised regions across the globe. To achieve this, we’ll need strengthened international regulations, stronger commitments from businesses, improved waste management systems worldwide, and coordinated global awareness-raising campaigns and cleanup efforts – to bring about change at all levels, in all regions.
By cleaning up the world, we help clean up the Arctic; and by cleaning up the Arctic, we help clean up the world! World Cleanup Day 2024, on Friday 20 September, offers everyone, everywhere an opportunity to take tangible action against pollution – starting in our own communities, but with an eye on the global impact. With Tromsø hosting this year’s World Cleanup Day, we’re sending a powerful message: even in the farthest reaches of the Earth, all the way up at the ‘Gateway to the Arctic’, the consequences of all our actions are being felt.
As with every year, participating in World Cleanup Day 2024 is about much more than just picking up trash. It‘s about joining a global movement to rethink waste, reduce our environmental impact, and protect vulnerable regions like the Arctic. By taking part, we can help ensure that future generations inherit a clean and healthy planet, for all living beings, in even the farthest corners of the globe.
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Tune into the World Cleanup Day broadcast on the World Cleanup Day Facebook page or Youtube Channel.
Hosted by the City of Tromsø, Norway, the World Cleanup Day 2024 United Nations calendar inaugural event is organised by GRID-Arendal, UN-Habitat, and the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund (NREF) in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, the City of Tromsø, the Fram Center, and Let’s Do It World.
Find out more about participating in World Cleanup Day 2024, or make a donation here.
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