how much plastic is in the ocean every year

An estimated 640,000 tonnes of the eight million tonnes of plastic that enters the oceans every year is so-called ghost fishing equipment, gear that’s either deliberately jettisoned or washed from ships or shorelines. Jambeck’s team found that 192 coastal countries generated a total of 275 million metric tons of plastic waste in 2010 and that between 4.8 and 12.7 million tons entered the oceans. It’s plastic where it shouldn’t be. According to the EPA, in 2012, the US generated 251 MMT of municipal solid waste (MSW). That’s about 17.6 billion pounds — or the equivalent of nearly 57,000 blue whales — every single year. The longer we wait, the worse it gets. By 2050, the world's oceans could contain more plastic than fish measure by weight. This is expected to increase to two per minute by 2030 and four per minute by 2050. But the future of plastics in our ocean will be determined by the way we handle plastics on land. So much of this plastic is ending up in the ocean that in just a few years, we might end up with a pound of plastic for every three pounds of fish in the sea. Plastic waste flowing into the oceans every year is projected to more than double by 2040, according to researchers, killing more marine life and entering the human food chain. Roughly 10,000 tons of plastic enter the Great Lakes every year, and scientists want to know where it ends up. • 80,000 – Metric tons of trash in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year, according to figures published in the journal Science in 2015. The numbers are all year-long totals for 2010. More plastic than fish. An estimated 8 m tons of plastic pollution enter the world’s oceans every year. Although we were able to remove the plastics that we put in, the same can’t be said for what is currently happening every second, of every day, for the rest of our lives, and those of our children. Ocean Conservancy —You don’t have to walk far on any beach, spend a long time on a boat or dive for very long before you encounter plastic debris — food wrappers, bottles, drinking straws, plastic bags and the like. But they are not going to the sun. More than 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans each year, equal to dumping a garbage truck of plastic every minute. 30 113% increase by 2040 There are some parallels to ocean plastics, but also important differences. Eight million metric tons: That’s how much plastic we dump into the oceans each year. Up to 12million tonnes of plastic ends up in the sea every year - the equivalent of a full rubbish truck every minute. Plastic pollution in the ocean frequently appears as seabird guts filled with cigarette lighters and bottle caps, marine mammals entangled in fishing gear and drifting plastic bags mimicking a gelatinous meal. The problem is getting worse each year. As much as 80 percent of all litter in our oceans is made of plastic. By 2025 we will be putting enough plastic in the ocean (on our most conservative estimates) to cover 5% of the earth’s entire surface in cling film each year. How does plastic pollution in the ocean affect sea life? 1/ Every half second, this much plastic makes it into the world’s oceans. 23 • 90 – Percent of waste on British beaches is plastic. Fact #4: The world consumes 5 trillion plastic bags a year; If we assumed that 2.3% of these entered the ocean, that would be 115 billion plastic bags entering the ocean in 2019. We are producing over 300 million tons of plastic every year, 50% of which is for single-use purposes – utilized for just a few moments, but on the planet for at least several hundred years. Plastic soup. That’s similar to emptying a garbage truck of plastic into an ocean every minute. 40% of plastic is used in packaging, racking up 161 tons of plastic produced globally. Last year, a study estimated that around eight million metric tons of our plastic waste enter the oceans from land each year. According to a new report by World Animal Protection, we drop somewhere around 700,000 tons of fishing gear into the ocean every year, which is arguably the worst kind of plastic pollution. The study's estimated range of plastic entering the ocean is 4.8 million to 12.7 million metric tons (MMT). For example, thousands of tiny plastic pellets used to produce plastic products, known as nurdles or mermaid’s tears, are washed up on beaches every year (Greenpeace, 2018). All that plastic ending up in oceans is not without consequences. Annually these global ‘aqueous highways’ carry millions of tons of human-generated plastic waste to oceans. Around a third of this likely comes from China, and 10% from Indonesia. Every year, 300 million tons of plastic materials come into circulation – be it in the form of plastic packaging, utensils, containers, bags, or even clothing. More than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year. Plastic waste is also believed to cost up to $33,000 per ton in reduced environmental value, the study found. • 1000 – Turtles killed by entanglements per year. Americans throw away 35 billion plastic water bottles every year (source: Brita) Plastic in the ocean breaks down into such small segments that pieces of plastic from a one liter bottle could end up on every mile of beach throughout the world. 22 In 2010 – the year for which we have the latest estimates – that was around 8 million tonnes. Every year, 6.4 million tonnes are dumped into the ocean. Together, we can turn the tide on plastic pollution and save our precious oceans. SHOCKING OCEAN PLASTIC STATISTICS: More than 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine animals die from plastic pollution every year.. 100% of baby sea turtles have plastic in their stomachs.. The exact amount of plastic that is dumped in the ocean per year is difficult to ascertain. We’re using more plastic than ever, it’s durable, cheap to produce and we’re consuming it at staggering rates. Of course, not all of our plastic waste ends up in the ocean, most ends up in landfills: it’s estimated that the share of global plastic waste that enters the ocean is around 3%. They are in our oceans and will stay there. That’s 50,000 double-decker buses’ worth of plastic every year. 70% of our plastic debris sinks into the oceans ecosystem, 15% can be found floating, and 15% will find its way on our beaches. • 8 Million – Pieces of plastic entering the ocean every day. Annually approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. By 2050, plastic in our ocean will outnumber fish. An estimated 300 million plastic bags every year end up in the Atlantic Ocean alone. Left to float in the ocean it continues its deadly purpose, ensnaring unwary marine creatures who venture too close. Taken at the UN's Clean Seas Exhibit in New York. Instead, MRFs are dumping them in landfills or incinerators, The Guardian reported last year. The world now produces more than 380 million tonnes of plastic every year, which could end up as pollutants, entering our natural environment and oceans.. Of course, not all of our plastic waste ends up in the ocean, most ends up in landfills: it’s estimated that the share of global plastic waste that enters the ocean is around 3%. 2/ At least 8 million tons of plastic enter the oceans each year. World wide, 13,000-15,000 pieces of plastic are dumped into the ocean every day. At least two thirds of the world’s fish stocks are suffering from plastic ingestion. By 2050, ocean plastic will outweigh all of the ocean’s fish. With no changes to current production, consumption, or waste management of plastic, by 2040 almost 30 million metric tons of plastic will end up in the ocean per year. The plastic soup. However, it is estimated that around 18 billion pounds of plastic goes into the ocean from coastal areas every year. Tweet This Ocean Plastics Packaging accounts for the largest end use of plastic representing just over 40% of total plastic usage. The plastic ending up in oceans every year is equivalent to the weight of 800 billion plastic bottles. This is the same as 3,200 kilometres of trucks each loaded with garbage. That’s equivalent to 16 shopping bags full of plastic for every metre of coastline (excluding Antarctica). Current estimates show that at last 8 million pieces of plastic are entering the oceans every single day. 300 million tons of plastic is created every year, which weighs the same as the worlds population, yet just 50% is single use. For the United States we can find some other figures to try to complete the picture. ” Every 60 seconds, the equivalent of a truckload of plastic enters the ocean. China's new policy, however, hasn't done much to change the fate of U.S. plastic, Hocevar said. And is ocean plastic harmful to humans? A full 32% of the 78 million tons of plastic packaging produced annually is left to flow into our oceans; the equivalent of pouring one garbage truck of plastic into the ocean every minute. It is estimated that about eight million metric tons of plastic find their way into the world's oceans every year. That research, published in 2015, estimated that 8 million metric tons of plastic ends up in the oceans every year. It’s in the sea and on the beach and it’s causing harm. With 8 million tons of plastic dumped into our oceans every year, our marine life is swallowing more plastic than ever — and it’s killing them. Put on top of each other these bottles would reach further than the sun. • 1 Million – Number of seabirds killed each year by ingesting plastic. Much of the plastic that does not end up in landfill or go through other waste management pathways (such as recycling or incineration) is thought to end up in the ocean. 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