Plastics in Our Oceans
Where do plastics come from and how do they end up in our oceans?
In order to identify where ocean plastic pollution is generated, multiple factors need to be considered such as plastic production and waste treatment among others. Some countries produce more plastic pollution than others while certain countries face more consequences from it than others.
The Global Plastic Navigator of WWF shows estimates of mismanaged plastic waste per km2, calculated on the basis of GDP and population data. Wind and rain then carry the plastic waste into our streams and rivers. Darker shades of orange indicate higher amounts of mismanaged waste that can enter our environment. The circles shows the estimated amount of plastic waste entering our oceans for the 122 most polluting rivers. Larger circles indicate more emissions. The shades of violet shows the modelled plastic concentration based on measurements from 24 expeditions. Darker colors indicate more floating plastic debris. The global ocean plastic distribution is also shown in the map below.
Ocean Microplastic Concentration
Source : Riccardo Pravettoni and Philippe Rekacewicz via GridA
The map above shows the kilograms of microplastic per square km. Microplastics are particles from the visible marine debris that have been broken down. They are less than 1 mm and are indistinguishable to the naked eye. These particles attract pollutants in the water (such as PCBs, DDT and flame retardants) and are then ingested by animals. They are considered as the largest uncontained oil spill in the world. Just like oil spills, they cannot be cleaned up as they cannot be picked up and removed like macroplastics. This map also highlights the role of the ocean currents in distributing plastic throughout the ocean and how it spreads.
Fortunately, there is still hope as programs around the world are taking on the challenge of proper waste disposal. The map below shows the countries with marine plastic clean up efforts. It can be observed that the countries who are found to be contributing the most in producing marine debris also have large numbers of volunteers helping to clean up.
Clean-up Efforts
