Quite simply, humans are addicted to this nearly indestructible material. Seabirds feed plastic pieces to their babies. Every year, 8 million metric tons of plastics enter our ocean on top of the estimated 150 million metric tons that currently circulate our marine environments. Adding together all 192 countries in the world with a significant coastal population, the researchers report online today in Science that about 4 million to 12 million metric tons of plastic washed offshore in 2010 alone, or about 1.5% to 4.5% of the world’s total plastic production—enough to cover every foot of coastline on the planet. 80% of plastic in our oceans is from land sources – but what does that really mean? Every single ocean now has a massive swirling plastic garbage patch. Rivers carry plastic waste from deep inland to the sea, making them major contributors to ocean pollution. More than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year. They include straws, light-weight plastic bags, some food packaging, disposable utensils and beverage containers. Click here to upload yours. At least 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year. 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. 22 In 2010 – the year for which we have the latest estimates – that was around 8 million tonnes. Fish, seabirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals can become entangled in or ingest plastic debris, causing suffocation, starvation, and drowning. A 2015 study in Science journal estimated that 4.8 to 12.7 million metric tonnes of plastic entered the ocean in 2010. Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . ... was the first since the 1970s to quantify how much of our plastic waste ends up in the ocean each year. Nearly all solid clear plastic can be recycled, while some dark plastics can also be with the right technology. Where does this plastic come from? These plastics come in many different forms. All rights Reserved. The last estimate was in 1975, when a National Academy of Sciences study hazarded a guess that about 0.1% of global plastic production sweeps out to sea annually. And it can even get washed down the drain in the form of microbeads in cosmetic products. According to Waste Management, only 1 percent of plastic bags are returned for recycling. Up to one trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year – that’s 160,000 a second. “It’s critical we reduce our use of throwaway plastic now.”. But although most people know that plastic cannot be absorbed back into the environment, there are many that are unaware just how much plastic ends up in our oceans - and how detrimental this can be. The number of plastic bottles in the sea is unknown, but over 250 billion were not recycled. Turtles mistake plastic bags and wraps for jellyfish, their favourite food. Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? What’s more, the authors predict that the annual amount of plastic waste tumbling out to sea will more than double in the next 10 years. That is the equivalent of five grocery bags of plastic trash sitting on every foot of coastline around the world. But how much of it is actually in the sea, and what can be recycled? London (CNN) Millions of tons of plastic enter the oceans every year, polluting our seas, littering our beaches and endangering wildlife. Scientists have shown that up to 12 million tonnes of plastic is entering our oceans every year – that’s a rubbish truck full every minute. That’s just the beginning of the problems, the team says, as scientists still don’t know where more than 99% of ocean plastic debris ends up—and what impact it’s having on marine life and the human food supply. Worryingly, fish-eating Brits risk consuming up to 11,000 tiny fragments every year according to a recent Belgian study. More than 1 million plastic bag s end up in the trash every minute. It took nearly a half-century, but scientists finally have a handle on how much plastic enters the open ocean every year. Some 18 billion pounds of plastic waste flows into the oceans every year from coastal regions. 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%. Around 10% of those will end up in our oceans. 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. Once ingested, sharp plastic pieces can cause internal injuries, or the plastic builds up in their stomach until they can’t digest food. The following 10 facts shed light on how plastic is proving dangerous […] Australians dump 36,700 tonnes of plastic bags into our landfill every year. THERE'S a war on excessive packaging in a bid to curb plastics and clean up our oceans. That means that the average family only recycles 15 bags a year; the rest end up in landfills or as litter. It is estimated that up to 13 million metric tons of plastic ends up in the ocean each year—the equivalent of a rubbish or garbage truck load’s worth every minute. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Up to 80 percent of ocean plastic pollution enters the ocean … The problem with plastic While it’s tough to say exactly how much plastic is in the ocean, scientists think about 8 million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean in 2010. Experts are now even warning plastic waste is now finding its way into the human food chain. Jordan North reveals secret I'm A Celeb meltdown before Dec stopped him quitting, Baby girl fights for life after found seriously injured at Blackpool home, Woman 'hasn't driven for a week' after terrifying find inside car door handle, Man, 66, charged with one of UK's biggest unsolved double murders pictured, I'm A Celeb finalists reveal weight loss as they emerge after 21 days, ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. © 2020 American Association for the Advancement of Science. AAAS is a partner of HINARI, AGORA, OARE, CHORUS, CLOCKSS, CrossRef and COUNTER. They make up most of the dumped plastic worldwide. A truckload of plastic enters the ocean every single minute and UK supermarkets produce 800,000 tonnes every year. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. If you linked them end to end they would circle the globe 4,200 times. We pay for your stories! “It’s estimated within a few decades there could be more plastic than fish in our oceans,” says Louise Edge, senior oceans campaigner for Greenpeace UK. Up to 12 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the sea every year - the equivalent of a full rubbish truck every minute. Australia alone uses 6.9 billion plastic bags a year of which 3.6 billion are plastic shopping bags. If you tied 6.9 billion plastic bags together end on end they would travel around the world 42.5 times. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Once in the ocean, plastic decomposes very slowly, breaking down in to tiny pieces known as micro plastics that can be incredibly damaging to sea life. The average American family takes home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year. That’s the weight of nearly 90 aircraft carriers, and the problem continues to grow. Although it doesn't decompose into natural substances like soil, it will break down into tiny particles that make their way into the food and water supply. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. There is now an estimated 300million tonnes of plastic in the oceans - much of it invisible to the naked eye. It is estimated that 300 million tons of plastic is produced every year, and half of this plastic is used just once and then … 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%. That research, published in 2015, estimated that 8 million metric tons of plastic ends up in the oceans every year. We already know that the scale of the problem is huge. The scientists figured roughly 15% to 40% of that littered or dumped plastic enters the ocean each year. Plastic is cheap, lightweight, strong and malleable. The amount of plastic dumped into the ocean has been increasing, according to a new study, and the problem will probably get worse. 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. Single-use plastic packaging for food and drink is a particularly common part of the problem. Now, researchers say reality is much grimmer. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. 1 In 2010 – the year … Plastic can enter the ocean as large, identifiable items or as microplastics - pieces under five millimetres in length. The team looked at how much plastic waste every coastal country in the world produces and estimated how much of it could potentially spill into the sea because it ends up as litter or in open dumps and leaky landfills. Up to 12million tonnes of plastic ends up in the sea every year - the equivalent of a full rubbish truck every minute. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags. Fish and Wildlife Service/Chris Jordan, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Some escapes from landfill sites, blows into a river and ends up in the sea, while other sources are dumped by careless holidaymakers on the beach. The scientists figured roughly 15% to 40% of that littered or dumped plastic enters the ocean each year. Most plastic pots can be recycled, as can tubs and trays. View our online Press Pack. Each year, an estimated eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean – equivalent to a full garbage truck dumped into the sea every minute - the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has said. Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year, half of which is used to design single-use items such as shopping bags, cups and straws. Floating plastic debris are currently the most abundant items … How does it get there? As a result, vast quantities pollute our world. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Comments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed, The plastic we generate is gradually suffocating the world's oceans and the creatures they support, Up to  12 million tonnes of plastic ends up in oceans every year — equating to a rubbish truck full every minute, The plastic-packed stomach of a dead albatross, Credit: U.S. Both pose a threat to marine life. How Much Plastic Is Produced? Using this data along with estimates of how much plastic is entering the ocean each year, it’s likely that there are over 180 million metric tonnes of plastic in the ocean in 2019. That’s the equivalent of a garbage truck emptying plastic into the ocean every … But sweet wrappers can't, along with film lids, bread bags, bubble wrap, and plastic toys. Six decades after its commercialization, the plastic is wreaking environmental havoc across the globe by clogging drainage systems, choking rivers and accumulating in the ocean. 10 Plastic leakage News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. Where is it coming from? We pay for videos too. Director, Trash Free Seas®, Ocean Conservancy. EARTH DAY 2018 | END PLASTIC POLLUTION Fact Sheet: Plastics in the Ocean The billions upon billions of items of plastic waste choking our oceans, lakes, and rivers and piling up on land is more than unsightly and harmful to plants and wildlife. Much of it flows into the oceans, turning them into a plastic soup. With production increasing, that’s set to rise. Single-use plastics don't break down naturally and are found in items that are only used once before they are thrown away or recycled. And it's estimated about 130,000 tonnes of Australian plastic ends up in waterways and oceans each year. 23 Here's what we know... Up to 12million tonnes of plastic ends up in the sea every year - the equivalent of a full rubbish truck every minute. There are three main ways the plastic we use every day … When the journal Science released a 2015 groundbreaking study that quantified the amount of plastic going into the ocean from land – estimated between 5 and 14 million tons annually — the Ocean Conservancy knew that it underscored its efforts to create economic incentives for the collection and treatment of plastic … That equates to 4,000 bags a minute or 230,000 per … Plastic can take … Every year, more plastic gets produced and a chunk of that is ending up in the ocean, ... About 4.8 to 12.7 million metric tons of it end up in the oceans … about 4 million to 12 million metric tons of plastic washed offshore in 2010 alone, scientists still don’t know where more than 99% of ocean plastic debris, Atom smasher unearths surprises hidden with 2000-year-old mummy, Magnetic spray transforms inanimate objects into minirobots, Fires can kindle biodiversity, sparking new approaches to conservation, Amid the cheering, some vaccines face questions, New challenges emerge for planned human challenge trials, Federal hospital data system falters at tracking pandemic, Scientists fear no-deal Brexit as deadline looms, American Association for the Advancement of Science. Just 44.9 per cent of 2.26million tonnes of plastic waste was recycled in 2016 – almost half the rate for paper and cardboard. 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