The World's Plastic Problem: A Global Crisis

Plastic pollution is a pressing global issue. In 2020, the world threw away over 250 million tonnes of plastic, with 52 million tonnes entering the environment every year. A recent study found that the world creates 57 million tonnes of plastic pollution annually, enough to fill New York City's Central Park as high as the Empire State Building.

The world throws away over 250 million tonnes of plastic every year

India leads the world in generating plastic pollution, producing 10.2 million tons a year (9.3 million metric tons), far more than double the next big-polluting nations, Nigeria and Indonesia. Lagos, Nigeria, emitted the most plastic pollution of any city, according to study author Costas Velis, a Leeds environmental engineering professor. The other biggest plastic polluting cities are New Delhi; Luanda, Angola; Karachi, Pakistan and Al Qahirah, Egypt.

In 2022, most of the world’s nations agreed to make the first legally binding treaty on plastics pollution, including in the oceans. Final treaty negotiations took place in South Korea in November. The treaty focused on 'ghost gear' piles in the Gulf of Maine, amid the plastic onslaught on oceans. The study used artificial intelligence to concentrate on plastics that were improperly burned — about 57 percent of the pollution — or just dumped. In both cases, incredibly tiny microplastics, or nanoplastics, are what turn the problem from a visual annoyance at beaches and a marine life problem to a human health threat.

Researchers say the world creates 57 million tons of plastic pollution every year — enough to fill New York City’s Central Park as high as the Empire State Building — and spreads it from the deepest oceans to the highest mountaintop to the inside of people’s bodies.

57 million tons of plastic pollution is produced annually

Plastic pollution is a pressing global issue. In 2020, the world threw away over 250 million tonnes of plastic, with a fifth of this pollution dumped straight into the environment. Developing nations are becoming plastic pollution hotspots, as they struggle to keep up with the mounting levels of rubbish.

A recent study found that the world creates 57 million tons of plastic pollution every year. This plastic spreads from the deepest oceans to the highest mountaintops and is even found inside people's bodies. The study used artificial intelligence to focus on plastics that were improperly burned or dumped, creating microplastics or nanoplastics that turn the problem from a visual annoyance at beaches and a marine life issue to a human health threat.

India is the world's leading generator of plastic pollution, producing 10.2 million tons annually, more than double the next biggest polluting nations, Nigeria and Indonesia. Lagos, Nigeria, is the city that emits the most plastic pollution, followed by New Delhi, Luanda, Karachi, and Al Qahirah.

In 2022, most of the world's nations agreed to create the first legally binding treaty on plastics pollution, including ocean pollution. This treaty will hopefully help address the pressing issue of plastic pollution and its impact on the environment and human health.

India leads the world in plastic pollution

In 2020, the world threw away over 250 million tonnes of plastic. A fifth of this plastic pollution was dumped straight into the environment, as many nations struggle to keep up with the mounting levels of rubbish.

India leads the world in generating plastic pollution, producing 10.2 million tons a year, far more than double the next big-polluting nations, Nigeria and Indonesia. Lagos, Nigeria, emitted the most plastic pollution of any city, according to study author Costas Velis, a Leeds environmental engineering professor. The other biggest plastic polluting cities are New Delhi; Luanda, Angola; Karachi, Pakistan and Al Qahirah, Egypt.

Developing nations are becoming plastic pollution hotspots, as new research lays bare global disparities in tackling the issue. By using real-world data to simulate waste disposal in countries around the planet, a group of scientists from the University of Leeds calculated that over 52 million tonnes of plastic waste enters the environment every year. Around 70% of this comes from just 20 countries, where the volume of waste has overwhelmed their ability to manage it effectively.

In 2022, most of the world’s nations agreed to make the first legally binding treaty on plastics pollution, including in the oceans. Final treaty negotiations are taking place in South Korea in November.

20 countries produce 70% of plastic waste

The world produces 57 million tons of plastic pollution per year, with 52 million tonnes of this entering the environment. A fifth of the world's plastic pollution is dumped straight into the environment, as many nations struggle to keep up with the mounting levels of rubbish. Developing nations are becoming plastic pollution hotspots, as new research lays bare global disparities in tackling the issue.

In 2020, the world threw away over 250 million tonnes of plastic. A recent study by the University of Leeds found that 70% of plastic waste comes from just 20 countries, where the volume of waste has overwhelmed their ability to manage it effectively. India, Nigeria and Indonesia top the list of nations where the greatest volume of plastic rubbish is entering the environment.

In 2022, most of the world's nations agreed to make the first legally binding treaty on plastics pollution, including in the oceans. The treaty negotiations are set to conclude in November 2024.

The study used artificial intelligence to concentrate on plastics that were improperly burned or just dumped. In both cases, incredibly tiny microplastics, or nanoplastics, are what turn the problem from a visual annoyance at beaches and a marine life problem to a human health threat.

Plastic pollution is a human health threat

In 2020, the world threw away over 250 million tons of plastic. A fifth of this plastic pollution was dumped straight into the environment. Developing nations are becoming plastic pollution hotspots as they struggle to keep up with the mounting levels of rubbish. Over 52 million tons of plastic waste enters the environment every year, with 70% of this coming from just 20 countries.

The plastic that is improperly burned or dumped contributes to the problem of plastic pollution. Microplastics, or nanoplastics, are what turn the problem from a visual annoyance at beaches and a marine life problem to a human health threat.

India leads the world in generating plastic pollution, producing 10.2 million tons a year, far more than double the next big-polluting nations, Nigeria and Indonesia. Lagos, Nigeria, emitted the most plastic pollution of any city, according to a study. The other biggest plastic-polluting cities are New Delhi, Luanda, Karachi, and Al Qahirah.

In 2022, most of the world's nations agreed to make the first legally binding treaty on plastics pollution, including in the oceans. This is a positive step towards addressing the issue of plastic pollution and its impact on human health.

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