This blog aims to provide insights on the causes of plastic pollution in the oceans, its harmful impacts, as well as the various implementations to counter this phenomenon that is mainly prevalent in countries within the Southern Hemisphere. The abundance of plastic products in our lives has become increasingly taxing on both our environment and, unbeknownst to most, our health. Many people in First World countries are not aware of the dire state of plastic pollution in other parts of the world, mainly because their plastic trash are usually not disposed of in their own country, hence the lack of awareness has led to an increasing accumulation of plastic waste in areas high up in the mountains and deep down in the oceans.
Where?
Lakes, rivers and streams carry the disposed plastics in their currents, they eventually converge and cause the plastics to be deposited in the oceans. The chart above ranked the top 20 countries that contributed to plastic waste in the ocean in 2010 and the estimated ranking by 2025. The top 5 countries in both 2010 and 2025 are Asia countries, out of which Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand are Southeast Asian countries. Therefore it is imperative for this rising trend of plastic pollution in Southeast Asia to be highlighted and to implement measures to prevent this prediction from becoming a reality.
How much plastic?
In 2010, the amount of plastic trash estimated to be disposed into the ocean from coastal countries was a whopping 8 million tons. Should there be no changes in the ways of plastic production, consumption or disposal, by 2025, the amount of plastic trash in the ocean is estimated to reach a high of 155 million tons.
Next, causes of plastics in oceans.
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