Mismanaged waste in low-to-middle income countries is therefore much higher. Waste can be dumped outside of landfills, and landfills that do exist are often open, leaking waste to the surrounding environment. Low-to-middle income countries tend to have poorer waste management infrastructure. It’s not left open to the surrounding environment. In rich countries, nearly all of its plastic waste is incinerated, recycled, or sent to well-managed landfills. Plastic will only enter rivers and the ocean if it’s poorly managed. The amount of plastic in surface waters is not very well known: estimates range from 10,000s to 100,000s tonnes.This discrepancy is known as the ‘missing plastic problem’ and is discussed h e re. Plastics in the oceans’ surface waters is several orders of magnitude lower than annual ocean plastic inputs.of this, 8 million tonnes – 3% of global annual plastics waste – entered the ocean (through multiple outlets, including rivers).only plastic waste which is improperly managed (mismanaged) is at significant risk of leakage to the environment in 2010 this amounted to 31.9 million tonnes.plastic waste generated in coastal regions is most at risk of entering the oceans in 2010 coastal plastic waste – generated within 50 kilometres of the coastline – amounted to 99.5 million tonnes.global plastic waste was 275 million tonnes – it did exceed annual primary production through wastage of plastic from previous years.global primary production of plastic was 270 million tonnes.This overview is summarized in the figure. The data and visualizations which follow in this entry provide this overview step-by-step. This is crucial, not only in understanding the scale of the problem but in implementing the most effective interventions for reduction. To understand the magnitude of input of plastics to the natural environment and the world’s oceans, we must understand various elements of the plastic production, distribution and waste management chain. What items of waste do we find in rivers and the ocean?.What are the most common items of waste found in rivers and oceans?.Surface plastic particles by ocean basin.Share of ocean plastics that come from the largest emitting rivers.Share of global plastic waste emitted to the ocean.Share of global mismanaged plastic waste.Share of cumulative plastic exports by top ten exporters.Probability of mismanaged plastic waste being emitted to ocean.Primary plastic waste generation by polymer.Primary plastic production by polymer type.Primary plastic production by industrial sector.Plastic waste generation by industrial sector.Plastic waste emitted to the ocean per capita vs.Plastic waste emitted to the ocean per capita.Plastic exports to China by top 10 exporting countries.Most common items of waste in the ocean by region.Mismanaged plastic waste per capita vs.How much plastic waste did China import?.Grocery bag comparisons of environmental impact.Grocery bag comparisons for greenhouse gas emissions.Decomposition rates of marine debris items.Cumulative recycled plastic export value by top ten exporters.Cumulative plastic exports by top ten exporters.Cumulative global production of plastics.Cumulative displaced plastic waste as a result of Chinese import ban.The trade-offs between plastics and substitutes (or complete bans) are therefore complex and could create negative knock-on impacts on the environment. It can also provide environmental benefits: it plays a critical role in maintaining food quality, safety and reducing food waste. This makes it a valuable material for many functions. Plastic is a unique material with many benefits: it’s cheap, versatile, lightweight, and resistant.In some regions, marine sources dominate: More than 80% in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) come from fishing nets, ropes and lines.Around 20% of all plastic waste in the oceans comes from marine sources.This makes the improvement of waste management systems across the world critical to reducing plastic pollution.This is because they tend to have more mismanaged plastic waste, whereas high-income countries have much more effective waste management.But, most of the plastic that ends up in the ocean comes from rivers in low-to-middle income countries.High-income countries generate more plastic waste per person.Plastic pollution is having a negative impact on our oceans and wildlife health.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |