Chloe Zhang
Plastic pollution in the ocean is a pressing issue. While it is difficult to quantify the exact amount of plastic in the ocean, scientists estimate that around 8 million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean in 2010, with 14 million tons entering our seas annually. This is equivalent to the weight of five blue whales entering our environment every hour. The problem continues to grow, with predictions that there will be more plastic in our oceans by weight than fish within 26 years.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Weight of plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch | 100,000 tonnes |
| Weight of plastic in the ocean in 2010 | 8 million metric tons |
| Weight of plastic predicted to be in the ocean by 2050 | 950 million tons |
| Weight of plastic entering the ocean annually | 14 million tons |
| Weight of plastic sitting on the ocean floor | 11 million tons |
| Weight of plastic entering the ocean annually (according to recent research) | 1-1.7 million tons |
What You'll Learn
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch weighs 100,000 tonnes
It is difficult to say exactly how much plastic is in the ocean, but scientists estimate that around 8 million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean in 2010. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) weighs an estimated 100,000 tonnes, which is 4-16 times more than previous calculations. This is the equivalent of over 740 Boeing 777s.
The GPGP is currently being cleaned up by The Ocean Cleanup with System 03. At the time of sampling, there were more than 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic in the patch.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation predicts that there will be up to 950 million tons of ocean plastic by 2050. It is thought that around 14 million tons of plastic enter our oceans each year, and there could be around 10,000 times more plastic sitting on the seabed. New research from CSIRO and the University of Toronto estimates that up to 11 million tonnes of plastic pollution is sitting on the ocean floor.
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8 million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean in 2010
It is difficult to say exactly how much plastic is in the ocean, but scientists estimate that about 8 million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean in 2010. This is the equivalent of nearly 90 aircraft carriers.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is estimated to contain 100,000 tonnes of plastic, which is 4-16 times more than previous calculations. This figure is much higher than the amount of plastic floating on the surface offshore, which is magnitudes less.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation predicts that there will be up to 950 million tons of ocean plastic by 2050. This is because around 14 million tons of plastic enter our oceans each year, and there could be around 10,000 times more plastic sitting on the sea bed. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that this is the equivalent of five blue whales entering our environment every hour.
Most ocean-bound plastic has a land-based origin, and comes from single-use items that are designed to be thrown out, like water bottles or take-out containers.
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By 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean by weight than fish
It is difficult to quantify the amount of plastic in the ocean, as it could mean anything from giant fishing nets to tiny nanoplastic particles, which are undetectable to the naked eye. However, it is estimated that 14 million tons of plastic enter our seas annually. This is equivalent to the weight of five blue whales entering our environment every hour.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation predicts that there will be up to 950 million tons of ocean plastic by 2050. This means that within 26 years, there will be more plastic in our oceans by weight than fish.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) was estimated to contain approximately 100,000 tonnes of plastic, which is 4-16 times more than previous calculations. This is equivalent to the weight of over 740 Boeing 777s.
Scientists think that about 8 million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean in 2010. This is the weight of nearly 90 aircraft carriers, and the problem continues to grow.
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14 million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year
It is difficult to say exactly how much plastic is in the ocean. However, it is estimated that 14 million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year. This is equivalent to the weight of five blue whales entering the ocean every hour.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation predicts that there will be up to 950 million tons of ocean plastic by 2050. This means that within 26 years, there will be more plastic in our oceans by weight than fish.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that 14 million tons of plastic enter our seas annually. This is supported by the fact that 500 million tons of plastic waste is produced every year, according to Our World in Data.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is estimated to contain 100,000 tons of plastic, which is 4-16 times more than previous calculations. This is equivalent to the weight of over 740 Boeing 777s.
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11 million tonnes of plastic pollution is sitting on the ocean floor
It is difficult to quantify the amount of plastic in the ocean, as it could mean anything from giant fishing nets to tiny nanoplastic particles, which are undetectable to the naked eye. However, scientists estimate that about 8 million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean in 2010. More recent research estimates that this figure is somewhere between 1 million and 1.7 million tons.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation predicts that there will be up to 950 million tons of ocean plastic by 2050. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that 14 million tons of plastic enter our seas annually.
New research from CSIRO and the University of Toronto estimates that up to 11 million tons of plastic pollution is sitting on the ocean floor. This is in addition to the plastic floating on the surface of the ocean. Most ocean-bound plastic has a land-based origin.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of plastic in the ocean. At the time of sampling, there were more than 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic in the patch that weigh an estimated 100,000 tons.
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Frequently asked questions
It's difficult to say exactly how much plastic is in the ocean, but scientists estimate that around 8 million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean in 2010. More recent research estimates that between 1 million and 1.7 million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year.
The weight of plastic in the ocean can be compared to the weight of aircraft carriers or blue whales. For example, the 8 million tons of plastic that entered the ocean in 2010 is the weight of nearly 90 aircraft carriers. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that 14 million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year, which is equivalent to the weight of five blue whales entering the ocean every hour.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an area in the Pacific Ocean with a high concentration of plastic pollution. At the time of sampling, there were more than 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic in the patch that weigh an estimated 100,000 tons. This is equivalent to the weight of over 740 Boeing 777s.
