Maya Ellison
Plastic pollution is a pressing global issue, with plastic waste causing environmental degradation and posing risks to wildlife. While the problem is widespread, certain countries contribute significantly more plastic to the world's oceans. The Philippines, an archipelago of over 7,000 islands with a lengthy coastline and numerous rivers, is a major contributor, accounting for up to 36.4% of the world's plastic ocean trash. Other Asian countries, including India, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, and Thailand, are also among the top emitters, with inadequate waste management systems leading to plastic entering the sea. Developed nations, such as the United States, produce substantial plastic waste per capita, but their domestic waste management infrastructure keeps most of it from ending up in the oceans.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of plastic in the ocean from Asia | 81% |
| Top 5 Asian countries contributing to ocean plastic | China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines |
| Country with the highest per capita plastic waste | United States |
| Country with the highest plastic waste generation | United States |
| Country with the second-highest plastic waste generation | India |
| Country with the third-highest plastic waste generation | China |
| Country with the fourth-highest plastic waste generation | Brazil |
| Country with the fifth-highest plastic waste generation | Indonesia |
| Factors contributing to plastic in the ocean | Proximity to rivers, distance to the ocean, terrain slope, land use, wind, precipitation |
| Rivers contributing to ocean plastic | 10 rivers contribute 18%, around 1500 rivers contribute 80% |
| Plastic waste management in high-income countries | Better infrastructure, recycling, incineration, landfills |
| Plastic waste management in middle-income and low-income countries | Mismanaged waste, lack of infrastructure, exporting waste |
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What You'll Learn
Rivers that carry plastic to the sea
The fight against plastic pollution in the oceans is a complex issue. It is important to understand that the plastic waste generated by a country does not always correlate with the amount of plastic pollution that ends up in the ocean. This is because countries with better waste management practices are able to process or recycle more of their plastic waste. As a result, countries with poor waste management systems and a smaller geographical area, longer coastlines, and high rainfall are more likely to contribute to plastic pollution in the oceans.
Rivers are a major source of plastic pollution in the oceans, with plastic waste being carried into rivers by wind and rainwater runoff. These rivers then act as ""plastic superhighways", transporting the plastic over long distances to the oceans. It is estimated that around 1,000 rivers are responsible for nearly 80% of global annual riverine plastic emissions, with small urban rivers being among the most polluting. The remaining 20% of plastic emissions are distributed across 30,000 rivers.
The top ten emitting rivers contribute a significant amount of plastic pollution to the oceans, with estimates ranging from 18% to over 90% in previous studies. More recent research suggests that the top ten rivers contribute a smaller amount, around 18% of plastic pollution, while the top 1,656 rivers account for 80% of river plastics. These rivers include the Yangtze, Yellow, Hai, Pearl, Amur, Mekong, Indus and Ganges Delta in Asia, and the Niger and Nile in Africa. The Yangtze River alone dumps up to 1.5 million metric tons of plastic waste into the Yellow Sea.
The Philippines, an Asian island nation with a population of around 1% of the world's population, is responsible for 36.4% of the world's ocean plastic trash. Seven of the top ten rivers that funnel the most plastic into the ocean are located in the Philippines. Other countries with a high percentage of plastic emissions in Asia include India, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Thailand. These countries have a large number of rivers that empty into the ocean, and due to poor waste management, plastic ends up in these rivers and eventually flows into the ocean.
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Mismanaged plastic waste
Densely populated developing economies with inadequate waste management infrastructures contribute significantly to MPW. Currently, the highest levels of MPW generation are in Asian and African countries. The Philippines, for example, is responsible for 36.4% of the world's plastic ocean trash, with India contributing 12.9%. These countries have many rivers that empty into the ocean, and due to poor waste management, plastic ends up in these waterways and eventually flows into the sea.
High-income countries, despite generating large amounts of plastic waste, are better at processing or exporting it. Middle-income and low-income countries, on the other hand, often lack the infrastructure to manage the plastic waste they produce and receive from exports. This disproportion is further exacerbated by the unfair practice of waste trade between industrialized and developing economies.
To address the issue of MPW, it is crucial to prioritize mitigation efforts in areas with high plastic emissions into the ocean. This includes focusing on major rivers, as just 10 rivers contribute 18% of the world's plastic trash in the oceans, and improving waste management infrastructures and collection technologies. Additionally, controlling consumer demand and material innovation can help reduce the demand for plastic and improve recycling rates.
While it is challenging to precisely predict the amount and sources of plastic entering the ocean, studies suggest that most plastics come from a small number of rivers. By understanding the drivers of plastic transportation, such as wind and precipitation patterns, and the factors affecting the probability of plastic entering rivers and oceans, we can better tackle plastic pollution.
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Plastic waste exported to developing countries
While consumers in rich countries tend to use a lot more plastic, they contribute very little plastic to the ocean. For instance, European countries emit less than 0.1 kilograms of plastic per person, while the Philippines emits 3.5 kilograms per person. The United States, despite making up over 3% of the world's population, contributes just 0.2% of the world's ocean plastic. This is because the US is landlocked, and most of its plastic waste ends up in landfills.
High-income countries generate large amounts of plastic waste and are either better at processing it or exporting it to other countries. Middle-income and low-income countries that receive these exports often lack the infrastructure to process them. For example, Germany was estimated to be the world's largest plastic waste exporter in 2022, with shipments totaling over 734,000 metric tons. Japan and some European countries, such as the UK, are also major exporters. The UK exports over 60% of its plastic waste to countries that don't have the waste management infrastructure to handle it.
The Netherlands, in particular, has been accused of dramatically increasing its plastic exports to developing countries, with Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia being key recipients. This has caused long-lasting damage to people and the environment in these countries, as the plastic that isn't recycled is often incinerated, releasing hazardous chemicals.
To address this issue, the Basel Convention was established in 1989 to control the international movement of hazardous waste, including plastic waste. Amendments to this convention in 2019 added new guidance for scrapped plastic, limiting its movement between nations. While these amendments are a step in the right direction, they still allow high-income countries to dump difficult-to-recycle plastic waste in low-income countries.
To effectively tackle plastic pollution, it is essential to focus on reducing plastic consumption in high-income countries and preventing plastic waste from entering major rivers that flow into the oceans.
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High per capita plastic waste
While high-income countries tend to generate more plastic waste per person, they are also better at processing it. Middle-income and low-income countries that are still developing their waste management infrastructure tend to produce a higher percentage of mismanaged plastic waste, which is more likely to end up in the ocean.
A 2021 study by Lourens Meijer et al. found that 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, while China generates 10 times more plastic waste than Malaysia, only 0.6% of China's plastic waste reaches the ocean, compared to 9% in Malaysia.
The Philippines, which accounts for approximately 1% of the world's population, is responsible for 36.4% of the world's ocean plastic trash. The country has over 4,800 plastic-emitting rivers, and 7 of the top 10 rivers that funnel the most plastic into the ocean are located there. Other Asian countries, including India, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Thailand, are also major contributors to ocean plastic pollution, with over 75% of the accumulated plastic in the ocean coming from these countries.
The United States, despite having a relatively high per capita plastic waste generation, contributes only 0.2% of the world's ocean plastic trash, as most of the country is landlocked, and much of its plastic waste ends up in landfills. Similarly, Germany, which had one of the highest daily per capita plastic waste rates in the world in 2010 at 0.46 kilograms, has significantly reduced its plastic waste creation through the implementation of a five-point plan introduced in 2018.
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Plastic waste from fishing
While plastic waste from rivers is the largest source of plastic pollution in the oceans, fishing gear and plastic waste from fishing activities are also significant contributors. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), for example, is largely composed of fishing-related plastic waste, with 75% to 86% of all plastic waste in the GPGP coming from offshore fishing activity. This includes industrialised fishing nations such as the United States, China, Japan, and Korea.
Fishing plastic waste is a substantial contributor to marine plastic pollution, although it is often overlooked in research due to the challenges in identifying pollution sources. The true amount of fishing plastic waste is likely underestimated. It is important to address the issue of fishing gear and plastic waste from fishing activities as part of efforts to curb ocean plastic pollution.
A significant amount of plastic waste in the oceans comes from fishing nets, ropes, fish aggregating devices (FADs), long lines, and plastic fishing crates and baskets. These items are often lost, discarded, or abandoned, and they pose a serious threat to marine life. More than 70% of marine animal entanglements involve abandoned plastic fishing nets, and an estimated 30% of the decline in some fish populations is attributed to discarded fishing equipment.
The impact of plastic waste from fishing is not limited to the marine environment. It also has socio-economic and health consequences for coastal communities, which are underexplored areas of research. A systems-based approach is necessary to develop meaningful and sustainable solutions to address the complex issues surrounding fishing plastic waste.
To reduce plastic waste from fishing, it is essential to focus on both prevention and cleanup. This includes improving waste management practices, promoting recycling and reuse, and supporting organisations dedicated to ocean cleanup, such as The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit organisation that develops technologies to remove plastic from the oceans.
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Frequently asked questions
The Philippines is the leading country on the list of top 10 ocean plastic contributors, generating an estimated 356,371 MT of plastic waste in the ocean.
The countries that contribute the most plastic to the sea are mostly in Asia, with 7 of the 10 rivers that funnel the most plastic in the ocean located in the Philippines. Other countries include India, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Brazil.
Plastic waste is often littered in parks, beaches, or along storm drains. It is then carried into drains, streams, and rivers by wind and rainwater runoff. Rivers then transport the plastic to the ocean.
