Marine Debris Composition at the Ums Outdoor Development Centre Beach Using the Trash Analysis Method

Marine debris is a ubiquitous pollutant due to its persistence, durability, and flexibility. Many negative environmental and economic impacts of marine debris have been studied, including habitat destruction, diseases, and mortality, which can jeopardise ecosystem services. It has become a major concern, especially since Malaysia has adopted the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aims to quantify the composition of debris collected from the UMS Outdoor Development Centre beach through trash analysis. On average, 5111 items/day with a total weight of 356.8 kg were collected during the 3-day sampling period. Based on the analysis, the most abundant type of debris at the beach is plastic (88.6%), which comprises plastic bags, food wrappers, and plastic bottles, followed by paper (8.4%). Findings from this study provide insights into the severity of marine debris, especially plastic materials and their origin in the study areas. This can be valuable evidence to raise the urgency for the local government and the policymakers to enforce stricter laws and better solid waste management strategies in the affected areas. Further studies on the composition of debris during seasonal changes to understand the transportation pattern of debris by water currents and wind movement are recommended.