Ad
related to: our world in data plastic pollutionDeveloping Scalable Technologies to Help Address Climate Change. We're working on Technology that Could Lower Emissions at Industrial Sites.
- Carbon Capture & Storage
Providing Industry Solutions Needed
To Help Reduce Emissions. Read More
- Methane Emissions
Energy Through Natural Gas,
While Advancing Climate Solutions.
- Carbon Capture Technology
Advancing Several Carbon Capture
& Storage Opportunities Globally.
- 2024 Progress Report
Supporting A Net-Zero Future While
Growing Value For Our Stakeholders.
- What Is Blue Hydrogen?
Explore The Versatility Of Hydrogen
Across Heat-Intensive Industries.
- Lets Deliver - Policy
Progressing New Tech To Lower
Emissions. Learn More.
- Carbon Capture & Storage
Search results
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. That means 0.5% of plastic waste ends up in the ocean.
- Data Explorer
Plastic Waste and Pollution Data Explorer - Our World in...
- FAQs on Plastics
Over the period from 1950 to 2019, cumulative production...
- Extrapolated Change in Plastic Fate to 2050
Rivers that contribute the most to ocean plastic pollution;...
- Global Plastics Production
Global plastics production. Annual production of polymer...
- Plastic waste emitted to the ocean
Plastic waste accumulated in the oceans. Plastic waste by...
- Data Explorer
- 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
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...
Across the world, people are living longer. In 1900, the global average life expectancy of a newborn was 32 years. By 2021, this had more than doubled to 71 years. Big improvements were achieved by countries around the world. The chart shows that life expectancy has more than doubled in every region of the world.
Ad
related to: our world in data plastic pollutionDeveloping Scalable Technologies to Help Address Climate Change. We're working on Technology that Could Lower Emissions at Industrial Sites.
