The Ocean's Plastic Crisis: A Global Overview

Plastic waste is one of the most pressing environmental concerns of the 21st century. While it is a useful and versatile material, plastic's durability means that it takes much longer to break down, causing harm to marine life and ecosystems. To tackle this problem, it is important to understand which countries are responsible for the plastic in our oceans. While some argue that developed countries produce more plastic waste per capita, others suggest that developing nations bear the brunt of the problem due to inadequate waste management infrastructure. According to recent studies, Asia is the largest contributor to ocean plastic pollution, with 81% of ocean plastics emitted from the continent. The Philippines, India, and Malaysia are among the top polluters, with the Philippines alone accounting for 36.4% of the world's plastic ocean trash. However, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other economically developed countries also contribute significantly to the problem.

The Philippines is the biggest contributor to ocean plastic

While rich countries produce the most plastic waste per person, the amount of plastic that ends up in the ocean is determined by how well this waste is managed. Plastic will only enter rivers and oceans if it is poorly managed. In high-income countries, almost all plastic waste is incinerated, recycled, or sent to well-managed landfills. In contrast, low-to-middle-income countries tend to have poorer waste management infrastructure, with waste often being dumped outside of landfills or left in open, leaking landfills. As a result, the amount of mismanaged plastic waste is much higher in these countries.

The Philippines, an archipelago of over 7,000 islands with a 36,289-kilometer coastline and 4,820 plastic-emitting rivers, has been identified as the biggest contributor to ocean plastic. In 2023, an international study found that the Philippines emitted the highest amount of plastic waste into the ocean per person each year, at 3.30 kg. This accounts for 36% of the world's total plastic waste. A 2021 study also found that seven of the top ten plastic-polluted rivers in the world are in the Philippines. The Pasig River, for example, has dethroned China's Yangtze River as the most polluted river in the world.

The high level of plastic pollution in the Philippines can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the country's geography, with its long coastline and many rivers, makes it more likely that plastic waste will enter the ocean. Secondly, the Philippines has a high rainfall rate, which increases the risk of plastic waste being washed into the sea. Additionally, the country struggles with poor waste management systems and a lack of access to disposal facilities, with 70% of Filipinos lacking access to proper disposal sites. This has resulted in plastic waste being directed into the oceans.

While the Philippines has taken some steps to address the issue, such as implementing an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program in 2021 and banning imported waste in 2018, the country continues to face challenges in enforcing waste management laws and improving environmental awareness among its population.

Mismanaged plastic waste and rivers that flow into oceans

Plastic is a cheap, versatile, and sterile material used in various applications, including construction, home appliances, medical instruments, and food packaging. However, when plastic waste is not recycled, incinerated, or kept in sealed landfills, it becomes an environmental pollutant. One to two million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans yearly, affecting wildlife and ecosystems.

Mismanaged plastic waste is a significant contributor to the plastic pollution in our oceans. Mismanagement of plastic waste means it is not recycled, incinerated, or properly disposed of in sealed landfills. Instead, it is left open to the surrounding environment, where it can easily leak into rivers and make its way into the ocean. Low-to-middle-income countries tend to have higher rates of mismanaged plastic waste due to poorer waste management infrastructure. In these countries, waste may be dumped outside of landfills, and landfills that do exist may be open and prone to leaking waste. As a result, plastic waste can enter nearby river networks and eventually flow into the ocean.

The probability of mismanaged plastic waste entering the ocean varies by country and is influenced by factors such as geographical area, coastline length, rainfall, and waste management systems. For example, the Philippines has a 7% probability of mismanaged plastic waste entering the ocean, while China has a much lower probability of 0.2%. The Philippines, with its thousands of islands and long coastline, has a higher risk of plastic waste being washed into the sea. Additionally, countries with high rainfall, such as those in tropical regions, may have increased runoff and river discharge, facilitating the transport of plastic waste into river systems and ultimately into the ocean.

River systems play a crucial role in transporting land-based plastic waste into the oceans. Rivers with high population densities and inadequate waste management practices are particularly susceptible to becoming conduits for plastic pollution. The Yangtze River in China, the Ganges River in India, and the Niger River in Nigeria are notable examples of rivers that carry significant amounts of plastic debris into the ocean. The length of the river, the proximity of the population to the river, and the distance to the ocean are also factors that influence the amount of plastic waste that reaches the ocean.

To address the issue of mismanaged plastic waste and reduce its impact on our oceans, it is essential to improve waste management strategies and infrastructure, especially in low-to-middle-income countries. This includes promoting recycling, proper disposal, and the use of well-managed landfills. Additionally, raising public awareness about the issue and implementing targeted infrastructure, such as litter traps, can help mitigate the problem. By tackling the root causes of mismanaged plastic waste, we can make significant progress in reducing the amount of plastic pollution in our oceans.

Plastic waste exports from high-income countries

The world produces around 350 million metric tons of plastic waste per year, with 19 million tons leaking into the environment. The top 10 countries that export plastic waste are all high-income, developed nations, with seven of them in Europe. These countries are responsible for 71% of all plastic waste exports, which amounts to more than 4.4 million tons per year. The top exporters include Germany, Japan, the UK, and the Netherlands, with the US also being a notable exporter.

Wealthier nations are offloading their environmental responsibilities onto less developed countries, which struggle to handle the waste effectively due to a lack of infrastructure. This has led to ocean pollution, with 5% of ocean plastic pollution coming from mismanaged waste exports. The brunt of this plastic waste trade falls on developing nations like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Turkey, which do not have the capacity to manage the waste effectively.

The practice of exporting plastic waste allows high-income countries to avoid the costs associated with recycling, reusing, or properly incinerating their waste. Instead, they send it to other nations and pretend that it will be processed properly. However, this often results in the waste being dumped and burned illegally, causing pollution and negative health impacts on nearby communities.

While importing recycled plastics can bring financial benefits to low-income countries, the end-of-life ecosystem costs may outweigh these benefits when the imported waste is unusable or non-recyclable. The global community has recognized the need to address this issue, with amendments to the Basel Convention mandating that plastic waste be recycled or disposed of as close as possible to its source.

To tackle the problem effectively, it is essential to scale waste management systems in high-income countries and improve waste management infrastructure in low-to-middle-income countries, as this is where most plastic pollution originates.

Plastic waste from fishing nets

While it is often assumed that the countries producing or consuming the most plastic are the ones that pollute the oceans the most, this is not the case. The biggest culprits are countries with a smaller geographical area, longer coastlines, high rainfall, and poor waste management systems. These factors make it more likely that plastic waste will be washed into the sea. For example, while China generates 10 times the plastic waste that Malaysia does, only 0.6% of China's plastic waste is estimated to reach the ocean, compared to 9% for Malaysia.

The single biggest source of plastic in the ocean is made up of lost, discarded, or abandoned fishing nets, ropes, FADs (fish aggregating devices), long lines, and plastic fishing crates and baskets. These are known as "ghost nets" and can continue killing marine life for decades, entangling or suffocating countless fish, sharks, whales, dolphins, sea turtles, seals, and marine birds. An estimated 30% of the decline in some fish populations is a result of discarded fishing equipment, and more than 70% of marine animal entanglements involve abandoned plastic fishing nets.

According to a 2018 study published in Scientific Reports, approximately 46% of the 79,000 tons of ocean plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is made up of fishing nets, some as large as football fields. The GPGP is the world's largest accumulation of floating ocean plastic, an area three times the size of France between California and Hawaii. The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit organization that develops technologies to rid the world's oceans of plastic, has confirmed that the GPGP is largely composed of fishing-related plastic waste, with 75% to 86% of all plastic waste coming from offshore fishing activity. Major industrialized fishing nations, including the United States, China, Japan, and Korea, are the principal producers of the fishing waste found in the GPGP.

Efforts are being made to address the issue of plastic fishing nets and other gear. Enaleia, a non-profit enterprise in Greece, has been working with fishers and companies to promote a circular approach and make marine ecosystems more sustainable. They train fishing communities to collect plastic from the sea and give them their used fishing equipment, which is then recycled into new, sustainable products. By 2024, Enaleia expects to be able to collect 1,000 tons of plastic per year.

Plastic waste from food packaging

Plastic waste is a pressing issue, with an estimated 8 million metric tons of plastic dumped in the ocean every year. While it is challenging to determine the exact amount of plastic in the ocean, it is clear that it poses a significant threat to marine life and ecosystems.

Food packaging is a major contributor to plastic waste, and it is no surprise that it is having a tangible impact on the oceans. During a global beach cleanup by Ocean Conservancy, nine out of ten items collected were related to food and drink packaging. This included more than 3.7 million individual wrappers, as well as straws, stirrers, cutlery, bottles, grocery bags, cups, and plates.

The problem of plastic waste from food packaging is exacerbated by the fact that much of this plastic is not recyclable. As George Leonard, the Ocean Conservancy's chief scientist, points out, recycling alone will not solve the problem of ocean plastic pollution. While recycling is part of the solution, it needs to be combined with improved waste management practices and a reduction in plastic production and consumption.

Rich countries tend to produce more plastic waste per person, but it is the mismanagement of this waste that contributes to ocean plastic pollution. Low-to-middle-income countries often have poorer waste management infrastructure, leading to higher rates of mismanaged waste. This waste is at risk of leaking into rivers and oceans.

To address the issue of plastic waste from food packaging, a multi-pronged approach is necessary. This includes improving waste management practices, particularly in low-to-middle-income countries, reducing the use of single-use plastics, and holding plastic producers accountable for the harmful waste they generate. By tackling the problem at its source and improving global waste collection and recycling practices, we can make significant strides in reducing plastic pollution in our oceans.

Frequently asked questions