Alexei Volkov
The sea of plastic, also known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is the largest accumulation of plastic in the ocean. It is estimated that 1.15 to 2.41 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year, with plastic pollution affecting marine wildlife, human health, and economies. The patch is constantly changing shape and location due to wind and current variations, and it is challenging to determine the exact extent of plastic waste in the ocean. However, the consequences are visible, and the problem is dire, threatening vital ecosystems and the health of billions of people.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total amount of plastic in the ocean | 14 million tons (as of 2020) |
| Annual increase in plastic in the ocean | 11-14 million tons |
| Amount of plastic waste produced annually | 500 million tons |
| Amount of plastic waste that is mismanaged | 20% |
| Amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills | 50% |
| Amount of plastic waste that is recycled or incinerated | 30% |
| Amount of plastic waste that comes from rich countries | Most per person |
| Amount of plastic waste that comes from middle-income countries | Most in total |
| Number of ocean garbage patches | 5 |
| Size of the biggest garbage patch | Three times the size of France |
| Number of plastic particles in the ocean | 358 trillion |
| Number of microplastic particles in the ocean | 75 trillion |
| Percentage of plastic that is buoyant | 50% |
| Percentage of plastic that sinks | 50% |
| Percentage of plastic that ends up on coastlines | 80% |
| Number of megafauna species affected by plastic pollution | 914 |
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What You'll Learn
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The GPGP is one of five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the world's oceans. It is a gyre of marine debris particles, originating from countries in Asia, North America, and South America. The patch is made up of a dispersed area of "fingernail-sized or smaller" particles, often microscopic, in the upper water column known as microplastics. These microplastics are nearly ubiquitous in the marine environment and may come from larger pieces of plastic that have broken down over time or from products such as fleece jackets or plastic microbeads added to face scrubs.
The concentration of plastic in the GPGP is much higher than in other parts of the ocean, with 180 times more plastic than marine life. The centre of the patch has the highest density, reaching hundreds of kg/km², while the outermost region has a lower density of about 10 kg/km². The total count of plastic pieces in the patch is estimated to range from 1.1 to 3.6 trillion, with 92% of the mass found in objects larger than 0.5 centimetres.
The GPGP is constantly changing due to seasonal and interannual variabilities of winds and currents, and its location and shape are not fixed. The patch is a significant environmental concern, posing risks to the health and safety of marine animals and humans alike. Studies have shown that about 900 species have encountered marine debris, and plastic ingestion and entanglement have been found to impact 914 megafaunal species, more than 100 of which are endangered.
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Plastic entering oceans annually
Plastic is one of the most enduring materials ever created, with the capacity to persist in the ocean for hundreds of years. Once plastic enters the ocean, it is extremely challenging to retrieve, particularly smaller plastic items and microplastics. Consequently, preventing plastic from entering the ocean in the first place is paramount.
Plastic pollution in the ocean is predominantly caused by littering, with individuals failing to properly dispose of disposable plastic items such as food wrappings, plastic bags, razors, and bottles, ultimately leading to their presence in waterways and, eventually, the ocean. Additionally, a significant portion of the plastic in the ocean originates from industrial fishing and shipping activities, constituting about 20% of the ocean's plastic pollution.
The amount of plastic entering the ocean annually is substantial, with estimates ranging from one to two million tonnes. A UNEP report from 2025 indicates that approximately 11 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year, equivalent to dumping 2,000 garbage trucks of plastic into the world's oceans, rivers, and lakes daily.
The primary source of ocean plastic emissions is rivers, with an estimated 1.15 to 2.41 million tonnes of plastic entering the ocean annually from these waterways. The probability of mismanaged plastic waste entering the ocean varies depending on factors such as the location and length of river systems, proximity to coastlines, terrain, and precipitation patterns.
The impact of plastic pollution on marine wildlife is profound and increasingly visible. Entanglement and ingestion of plastic have affected 914 megafaunal species, with more than 100 of these being endangered. As plastic pollution persists, the concentration of microplastics in patches, such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, will continue to increase, further exacerbating the issue.
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Plastic waste mismanagement
The mismanagement of plastic waste is a global concern, with an estimated one-fifth to one-quarter of all plastic waste being mismanaged worldwide. This issue is particularly prevalent in low- to middle-income countries, which are the source of most of the plastic flowing into the oceans. These countries often lack the necessary waste management infrastructure, making them more vulnerable to plastic pollution. Factors such as population density, GDP per capita, waste statistics, terrain, proximity to coastlines and river systems, and precipitation patterns also influence the likelihood of plastic waste ending up in the ocean.
Richer countries can contribute to improving waste management in these regions through foreign investments in waste management infrastructure. Additionally, policies that mandate recycling, reduce single-use plastics, and invest in waste management infrastructure can help reduce plastic waste mismanagement. According to a study by Pottinger et al., combining eight plausible policy interventions could reduce mismanaged plastic waste by up to 91%.
The consequences of plastic waste mismanagement are severe and wide-ranging. Once plastic enters the ocean, its durability ensures its persistence, with plastic debris from the 1960s still impacting marine life today. Plastic pollution affects marine wildlife through entanglement and ingestion, threatening hundreds of species, including endangered ones. It also has economic implications for industries such as fishing and tourism, and coastal communities bear high cleanup costs.
The scale of the problem is immense, with an estimated 1.15 to 2.41 million metric tons of plastic entering the ocean each year from rivers. As plastic production continues to increase, the importance of effective waste management becomes ever more critical. By improving waste management strategies and implementing targeted policies, we can significantly reduce plastic pollution and its detrimental effects on our planet.
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Impact on marine wildlife
Marine wildlife is suffering the most direct and damaging effects of ocean plastic pollution. From fish to turtles, seals, crustaceans, microorganisms, and many other forms of life, the damage caused by plastic pollution to marine animals is increasingly visible.
The durability of plastic is one of its biggest assets as a material. However, this means that once plastic enters the ocean, it will remain there for long periods; it won't degrade on its own. The oldest pieces of plastic found in clean-up efforts date back to the 1960s, and marine life has been bearing the consequences ever since.
Entanglement and ingestion of plastic have been found to impact 914 megafaunal species, of which more than 100 are endangered. For example, the Mediterranean monk seal’s (Monachus monachus) second leading cause of death (after deliberate killing) is fishing gear entanglement. It is estimated that marine plastics contribute to the death of more than 100,000 marine mammals every year.
Small but visible plastic fragments can sit on the surface of the water and be mistaken for food by seabirds and other marine species, leading to issues including suffocation, starvation, and toxic contamination over time. Plastics smaller than 5mm, including microscopic particles such as granules in face scrubs and toothpaste, microfibres from textiles, and disintegration from larger plastics, are often ingested by marine life. Microplastics are invisible to the naked eye, making them easy for wildlife to consume. They also have the ability to adsorb toxins, which can transfer to the fatty tissues of the organisms that ingest them.
Large items of plastic can capture and entangle marine mammals and fish, preventing them from escaping and leading to starvation, injury, and increased vulnerability to predators. A study found that over two-thirds of 500 fish species had consumed plastic. Molluscs such as mussels and oysters also ingest microplastics when filtering seawater to feed. In a study of mussels sourced from UK waters, 100% of samples were found to contain microplastic pieces.
Apex predators, such as great white sharks and orcas, are also at risk due to the cumulative impact of microplastics in the food chain and the bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals found in plastics. A single plastic particle can adsorb up to one million times more toxic chemicals than the water around it.
The impact of plastic pollution on marine wildlife is widespread and devastating, and it is essential that efforts are made to address this urgent problem.
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Global efforts to reduce plastic waste
Plastic waste is a pressing global issue, with plastic flowing into our oceans and natural habitats at an alarming rate. The planet is drowning in plastic, and this has dire consequences for wildlife, ecosystems, and human health. It is estimated that up to 90% of seabirds and 52% of sea turtles have ingested plastic, and plastic pollution in the oceans is essentially irreversible, taking hundreds of years to degrade while leaching toxic chemicals.
There have been some global efforts to reduce plastic waste and tackle this environmental crisis. In 2018, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in partnership with the UN Environment Programme, launched the Global Commitment to stop plastic packaging from becoming waste. Over 1,000 organisations have backed this commitment, and business signatories have made significant progress in reducing their use of problematic plastic items, stabilising their use of virgin plastics, and increasing their share of recycled content.
Additionally, countries like Bangladesh have taken the lead in plastics legislation, with Bangladesh being one of the first countries to ban plastic bags. Since then, 76 other countries have followed suit, and 32 countries have implemented taxes or restrictions on plastic bags. Guatemala also banned single-use plastics in 2019, giving the public two years to find alternatives. The EU created a Circular Economy Action Plan, which includes the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy, aiming to strengthen recycling regulations and take a science-based approach to legislation.
The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative is another effort to reduce plastic pollution, ensuring that businesses, governments, and stakeholders take action. The initiative aims to have concrete agreements in place by 2025. WWF is also leading the charge in reimagining how we reduce, source, design, and reuse plastic materials, advocating for the elimination of single-use plastics and the adoption of sustainable sources.
While these efforts are commendable, the world remains off track in fixing the plastic pollution crisis. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation highlights that more ambitious policies, regulatory measures, and business actions are needed to curb the crisis effectively. The ongoing negotiation for an international legally binding instrument presents an opportunity to implement rules, measures, and incentives to end plastic pollution.
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Frequently asked questions
It is estimated that 14 million tons of plastic are in the ocean, with 1.15 to 2.41 million tons entering the ocean each year.
Plastic enters the ocean from thousands of sources all over the world every day. Rivers are the primary transporters of plastic from land to sea, with coastal cities in middle-income countries being the world's plastic emissions hotspots.
Plastic in the ocean has a devastating impact on marine wildlife, with entanglement and ingestion impacting 914 megafaunal species, more than 100 of which are endangered. It also threatens vital ecosystems, coastal economies, and the health of billions of people who eat contaminated seafood.
To reduce plastic in the ocean, waste management strategies must be improved, with a focus on recycling, incinerating, or storing plastic waste in sealed landfills. Individuals can also play a part by refusing to buy plastic products and reusing those they already have.
