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The concentration of plastics in the oceans has significantly increased from around 16 trillion pieces in 2005 to 171 trillion in 2019. Before 2005 the concentrations fluctuated.
Oct 5, 2023 · Around 0.5% of the world’s plastic waste enters the oceans each year, mostly from rivers and coastlines. Most of it stays close to the shoreline, while some sinks to the seabed and less than 0.1% floats on the surface.
Even just in the last two decades, global plastic production has doubled. The world produces around 350 million tonnes of plastic waste each year. Estimates vary, but recent high-quality studies suggest that between 1 and 2 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans annually. 1. That means 0.5% of plastic waste ends up in the ocean.
- Which Rivers Emit The Most Plastic to The Ocean?
- Which Countries Emit The Most Plastic to The Ocean?
- What Determines Each Country's Contribution to Ocean Plastics?
- To Tackle Plastic Pollution We Need to Know Where It’S Coming from
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To tackle plastic pollution we need to know what rivers these plastics are coming from. It also helps if we understand whythese rivers emit so much. Most of the world’s largest emitting rivers are in Asia, with some also in East Africa and the Caribbean. In the chart we see the ten largest contributors. This is shown as each river’s share of the gl...
Asia accounts for 81% of global plastic inputs to the ocean
We’ve looked at the role of individual rivers, but how do these aggregate at the regional and country-level? Which countries emit the most plastic to the ocean? In the chart we see the breakdown of global plastic inputs to the ocean by region. 81% of ocean plastics are emitted from Asia. The fact that a disproportionate amount of plastic pollution comes from Asia is consistent with previous research. Earlier studies estimated its share in 2010 was 86%.5 This should also not surprise us given...
More than one-third of ocean plastic inputs come from the Philippines
The distribution of plastic inputs is reflected on the world map. There we see each country’s share of global plastic emissions. The Philippines accounts for more than one-third (36%) of plastic inputs – unsurprising given the fact that it’s home to seven of the top ten rivers. This is because the Philippines consists of many small islands where the majority of the population lives near the coast. But it’s an important update on our previous understanding of where China and India were thought...
We can understand what determines each country’s contribution through three steps. First, the amount of plastic waste that each country generates in the first place. Rich countries produce much more plastic waste per person than poorer countries. Most produce 0.2 to 0.5 kilograms per person per day.8 This compares to 0.01 in India or 0.07 kilograms...
Identifying where plastic emissions are coming from really matters for how we tackle it. Rich countries emit very little – this means domestic strategies to reduce plastics in these countries will not make much difference to ocean plastics. What rich countries cando is support low-to-middle income countries in improving waste management infrastruct...
Most of the plastic in the ocean comes from land-based sources via rivers, not marine sources. Learn which countries and rivers emit the most plastic, and what factors affect the transport and fate of plastics in the ocean.
Learn how plastic enters the ocean, why it is a problem, and what you can do to reduce it. Find out how much plastic is in the ocean and what forms it takes.
The numbers are staggering: There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean. Of that mass, 269,000 tons float on the surface, while some four billion plastic microfibers per square kilometer litter the deep sea. Scientists call these statistics the "wow factor" of ocean trash. The tallies, published last year in three separate ...
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Oct 21, 2021 · 21 October 2021 Climate and Environment. Plastic pollution in oceans and other bodies of water continues to grow sharply and could more than double by 2030, according to an assessment released on Thursday by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The report highlights dire consequences for health, the economy, biodiversity and the climate.
