Travel thoughts (3): pollution knows no border

This is another post inspired by my recent trip to Morocco , though this is one I rather not be writing...
I was striked on some of my beach walks by the amount of plastic washed up. Yes, we know that plastic pollution in the ocean is a problem, but we seldom see it first eye on our beaches that are often cleaned up (and one may wonder where does it all end up?perhaps back in the sea to begin the cycle again? Or reduced into smaller particles with all of its associated problems...). In Morocco the problem is evident , right there, in front of everyone eyes.
Some other reasons, beach cleaning aside, may be the cause of these plastic beaches:

• The ocean knows no borders, and the Atlantic coast of Morocco is famous to be a high energy environment , not to forget it is famous for the surf! so it may be the end point for rubbish that we produce!
• The rise of multinationals commerce in place of local produces (see previous post) definitely contributes to this. Many things come with unnecessary packages, yogurts are sold in individual mini pots rather than bigger containers, plastic bottles of coke are advertised as finally be as cheap as glass (couldn’t they keep glass bottles cheaper?)
• A lack of education about plastic. Street vendors would by default give you a plastic bag to put the produces in- even those produces that don’t need any (for example melons, oranges) and would look at you funny if you refused the bag and placed the items loose in your bag (well, I took the funny looks anyway). Although I was surprised by the environmental efforts in Marrakech particularly in the cyber park!
• Lack of infrastructure -helping them with some recycling scheme may be helpful, maybe may create some more jobs too

So, think again of the impact you may have with your plastic consumption - we may have created political borders but the environment doesn’t know about them! And always be critical when you travel, try to adapt and live like a local instead of finding produces that you will get at home, you might find it enhances the cultural values of your trip (yes I bought some buttermilk from a street vendor/local farmer and I am still alive).