Some interesting visuals for the subject of plastic pollution and recycling. It is important to closely consider the information here - a it shows how some countries of the world have become dumping grounds for more developed countries that now export their 'recycling' to locations overseas
More than 350 million tonnes of plastic waste is generated each year.
Only a fraction of plastic waste is recycled, and about one-fifth is dumped or littered without proper waste management practices. Most of it doesn't decompose, polluting the environment for hundreds of years.
The above infographic visualizes the largest contributors of mismanaged plastic waste in 2019, based on data published in the Science Advances journal.
Asian countries account for the majority of global mismanaged plastic waste (MPW).
India and China are the only countries to account for over 10 million tonnes of MPW (partly be driven by their sheer population numbers) while the Philippines is the third-largest contributor and accounts for 37% of all MPW released into the ocean at over 350,000 tonnes per year.
The three continents of North America, Europe, and Oceania together account for just 5% of global mismanaged plastic waste. However, these figures do not reflect the amount of waste that is exported overseas.
In 2019, the Philippines famously shipped back 69 containers of dumped garbage back to Canada, joining other nations in rejecting waste from rich countries.
Full article: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-mismanaged-plastic-waste-by-country/
A significant portion of the world's plastic waste eventually ends up in our oceans.
Many pieces of ocean plastic waste have come together to create a vortex of plastic waste three times the size of France in the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii.
Where does all of this plastic come from? The graphic above shows the top 10 countries emitting plastic pollutants in the waters surrounding them.
Most of the plastic waste found in the oceans comes from the litter in parks, beaches, or along the storm drains lining our streets. These bits of plastic waste are carried into our drains, streams, and rivers by wind and rainwater runoff. The rivers then transport the plastic to the oceans.
Countries with a smaller geographical area, longer coastlines, high rainfall, and poor waste management systems are more likely to wash plastics into the sea.For example, China generates 10 times the plastic waste that Malaysia does. However, 9% of Malaysia's total plastic waste is estimated to reach the ocean, in comparison to China's 0.6%.
| Rank | Country | Annual Ocean Plastic Waste (Metric tons) |
|---|
| #1 |  Philippines | 356,371 |
| #2 |  India | 126,513 |
| #3 |  Malaysia | 73,098 |
| #4 |  China | 70,707 |
| #5 |  Indonesia | 56,333 |
| #6 |  Myanmar | 40,000 |
| #7 |  Brazil | 37,799 |
| #8 |  Vietnam | 28,221 |
| #9 |  Bangladesh | 24,640 |
| #10 |  Thailand | 22,806 |
|  Rest of the World | 176,012 |
| Total | 1,012,500 |
|---|
The only non-Asian country to make it to this top 10 list, with 1,240 rivers including the Amazon, is Brazil.
Many high income countries generate high amounts of plastic waste, but export it to other countries. Meanwhile, many of the middle-income and low-income countries that both demand plastics and receive bulk exports have yet to develop the infrastructure needed to process it.
Full article: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/visualized-ocean-plastic-waste-pollution-by-country/
No comments:
Post a Comment