Enjoying your fried fish with soy sauce? Do you know you are consuming plastic with it? I am sure many of you are aware of the immense amount of plastic waste rotting in seas; but little do we know the irreparable damage that is causing to the marine life directly and to us indirectly. It is more horrifying that how much plastic is in the ocean now, is going to triple in upcoming years. And after knowing about the different ways through which microplastics get into the oceans you will be shocked at how irresponsible our lifestyle has been.

How Much Plastic is in the Ocean

Approximately 350-400 million tons of plastic waste are generated each year worldwide. We have all witnessed powerful images of plastic littering coastlines and polluting the oceans. Out of that 0.5% of the world’s plastic waste ends up in the oceans.

Around 82 million tons, or nearly one-quarter, of the world’s plastic waste is not properly managed or disposed of. This amounts to a significant problem as it is neither stored in secure landfills, reused through recycling, nor safely incinerated.

Due to this, the following scenario takes place:

  • One-quarter of around 19 million tons leak into the environment.
  • 13 million tons into terrestrial environments
  • 6 million tons go into rivers or coastlines.
  • 1.7 million tons are transported to the ocean, with 1.4 million tons originating from rivers and 0.3 million tons from coastlines.

Rivers and lakes became the final destination for the remaining plastic waste that had seeped into aquatic ecosystems. This indicates that approximately 0.5% of the world’s plastic waste ultimately finds its way into ­­­­­­the oceans. As per recent research, the ratio is now somewhere between 1 million and 1.7 million tons.

According to OECD data, an estimated 1.5 million tons out of the 1.7 million that enter the oceans remain near the shoreline, while 0.2 million tons sink to the seabed, and less than 0.1 million tons are transported offshore on the surface. Let’s delve into the specifics behind this figure. The chart below illustrates the course of plastic waste to the oceans, sourced from the OECD’s Global Plastic Outlook, 2022.

How Much Plastic is in the Ocean 1

Facts Justifying Presence of Plastic Waste in the Ocean

1. Daily around 8-10 million plastic pieces reach the ocean.

2. From 1950 till 2019, plastic pollution in oceans increased exponentially per year. In 2019, it was around 460 million metric tons.

3. Between 1950 and 2015, around 107 to 290 million metric tons of plastic were released into the ocean.

4. About 79% of plastic waste is dumped in landfills or oceans. It is the amount left after 12% is incinerated and 9% is recycled.

If interested, you can go through our post – 10 Interesting Landfills Facts and Stats

5. Around 40% of the ocean’s surface is currently polluted with plastic waste. If we keep consuming plastic at the same rate, experts predict that by 2050, there will be a higher quantity of plastic than fish in the ocean.

6. Around 51-57 trillion micro and 24-25 trillion microplastics are littering oceans.

7. Plastic floating on the surface accounts for 269,000 tons. It is equal to 1345 blue whales. Except for this 1% of marine litter, everything sinks to the sea floor.

8. Due to excessive plastic pollution in oceans, 100% of baby sea turtles have plastic in their stomachs.

9. Every square mile of ocean is covered with 46,000 pieces of plastic. It weighs up to 269,000 tons.

10. According to the estimates, presently 75 to 199 million plastic waste is in the oceans. It is expected that every upcoming year, around 33 billion pounds of plastic will enter the oceans.

11. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is approx. 1.6 million square kilometers, mainly covered with plastics.

ocean garbage: ocean pollution facts for kids

12. Out of the total plastic waste generated in the world, single-use plastic accounts for 50% of it. Moreover, only 9% has been recycled.

13. Every year, the UK uses more than 2 million tons of plastic packaging.

14. Around 88% of the sea’s surface is polluted with plastic waste. It is one of the most shocking facts about rubbish in the ocean.

15. Every year, between 8 and 14 million tons of plastic enter the ocean. It’s shocking that such a massive amount of plastic waste is dumped in our oceans every year.

16. Around 1.7 million tons of plastic waste comes from Britain, on an annual basis. The US disposes of approx. 38 million tons of plastic waste every year.

17. Plastic packaging is the biggest contributor, comprising 80 million tons of waste per year. This much is received from the US alone.

18. There are 5000 pieces of plastic and 150 plastic bottles on every mile of UK beaches.

19. Every minute, 1 million plastic bags are discarded into the trash.

20. The world uses more than 500 billion plastic bags every year, which is 150 bags for each person on Earth.

21. 8.3 billion plastic straws litter beaches and about 1% end up in the ocean as waste.

22. 1 out of every 3 fish, around 33% caught for human consumption contains plastic.

23. Plastic microbeads are extremely toxic, about a million times more toxic than seawater.

Also, take a look at our post- How is Plastic Recycled: Complete Plastics Recycling Process Step-by-step guide

Plastic waste landfill: plastic pollution facts in the ocean

Plastic Pollution Facts in The Ocean

24. It is estimated that by 2025, our oceans will have around 250 million metric tons of plastic.

25. Around 20% of all marine plastic accounts for lost fishing gear (ghost gear).

26. Most floating plastic waste can be traced back to 5 fishing nations, namely the United States, Japan, South Korea, China, and Taiwan.

27. Around 4 billion plastic microfibers per square kilometer are present in the sea.

28. Yearly, 4.8 to 12.7 million tons of plastic pieces are dumped in oceans.

29. Every minute 1 garbage truck is being disposed of in oceans.

30. Per mile of the United Kingdom beach have around 5,000 marine plastic pollution items.

31. Presently 165 million tons of plastic are circulating in marine environments of the Earth.

32. Plastic pollution has reached depths of up to 2000 feet deep, heavily damaging the deepest corners of our planet.

33. By 2040, the amount of waste dumped into the ocean will almost triple, reaching 23-37 million metric tons per year. This is equivalent to about 50 kg of plastic per meter of coastline.

Plastic landfill: facts about rubbish in the ocean

Facts Justifying Impact of Ocean Plastic Pollution on Animals

34. Upon examination, 36% of seals, 40% of seabirds, 59% of whales, and 100% of sea turtles are affected by marine pollution.

35. According to a study, whales are ingesting millions of plastic particles daily while filter-feeding in the ocean. Blue whales are consuming an estimated 10 million pieces per day, totaling between 230 kg and 4 metric tons during the feeding season.

36. Yearly, 100,000 marine mammals and 1 million seabirds are killed by ocean plastics.

37. Due to plastic waste, around 700 species of marine animals are on the verge of extinction.

38. Since 1970, the tuna population has declined by 74% and 1 in 4 species of shark is facing extinction due to plastics.

39. Around 1 in 3 marine animals have been found tangled in plastics. With such ocean pollution facts for kids, we should raise awareness among them.

40. More than 90% of seabirds have plastics in their stomachs as they consume it mistaking it for food.

41. Sea turtles caught in fisheries operating in and around the patch can have their diets composed of up to 74% ocean plastics by dry weight.

42. Ghost fishing poses a serious threat to marine life, with discarded fishing nets weighing 705,000 tonnes fatally entangling mammals such as seals.

43. More than 2/3rd of fish stocks in the world have ingested plastic.

44. When coral comes into contact with plastic, its chances of getting sick increase dramatically from 4% to 22%. This is very bad because coral is the habitat for over 25% of all marine organisms. It is estimated to increase by 40% by 2025.

45. Plastic debris can transport marine life across long distances, leading to the introduction of invasive species that disrupt ecosystems. Plastic was found in the stomachs of crustaceans that were tested at the Mariana Trench, the ocean’s deepest point.

46. Fossil fuel plastics in the ocean emit greenhouse gases, leading to a hotter climate and endangering coral reefs. Rising temperatures above 2° C could wipe out most reefs.

plastic garbage:facts about rubbish in the ocean
Pic Credit: Getty Images from Unsplash+

Exploring Facts on Causes and Sources of Plastic in the Ocean

47. In all marine debris, plastics account for up to 60-90%, which is about 5.25 trillion.

48. Nets, lines, and ropes constitute around 20% of all plastic waste in the sea.

49. Percentage of other waste in oceans includes 6% of tableware, 8% of bottle caps, 9% of food packaging, and 32% of cigarette filters.

50. 60% of clothing materials are plastic (Nylon, acrylic, polyester, etc.). When washed these clothes create 700,000 microplastic fibres that end in oceans.

51. Around a billion plastic stirrers are disposed of annually in America.

52. Approximately 1 billion plastic toothbrushes and 2 billion razors are discarded yearly in the US.

53. During the Great British Beach Clean by the Marine Conservation Society, 8 billion cotton buds were found. These were among the top 10 items found during the process.

Also, check out How to Reduce the Use of Plastic in Agriculture

54. The top 5 most polluting countries contribute to about 60% of all ocean plastic pollution. The US was ranked in the top 20 on this list.

56. Every year, approx. 18 billion pounds of plastic waste enter the sea from coastal regions.

57. The 10 river systems contribute to 90% of the plastic waste entering the sea. It includes the Amur, Ganges, Hai He, Indus, Mekong, Pearl, Yangtze, and the Yellow rivers in Asia. The Niger and Nile from Africa are the remaining two.

58. The major source of plastic pollution lies in the careless disposal of litter in rivers, drains, beaches, towns, and cities.

59. Other major contributors to plastic pollution in the ocean are industry spills, poorly managed landfill sites, and waste flushed down from toilets.

Shredding plastic waste_plastic recycling-process

Facts Verifying Plastic Bag Pollution in Ocean

60. Per minute more than 1 million plastic bags are used and thrown in the trash. Out of this around 10% ends up in oceans.

61. Plastic bags entangle and lead to the death of around 100,000 marine animals.

62. Less than 10%, that is 1 out of 7 plastic bags are recycled.

63. Alone in the US, approximately 327 billion bags end up in seas.

64. It takes 500 to 1000 years or even more for a plastic bag to decompose in oceans.

Also See: How to Recycle Plastic Properly at Home: 10 Creative Ways

Facts Justifying Plastic Straws in The Ocean

65. Per day, the US uses more than 500 million plastic straws.

66. Around 4.4 billion plastic straws are discarded annually in the UK.

67. According to scientist’s estimates, around 7.5 million plastic straws are polluting the US coastline. Moreover, the ratio for the world ranges between 437 and 8.3 billion plastic straws.

68. Overall, plastic straws constitute about 1% of plastic waste in the sea.

Facts Explaining Plastics Bottles in the Ocean

69. There are 66 times more plastic bottles than there are humans on the planet.

70. As per recent estimates, every mile of the UK coastline is covered by 150 plastic bottles.

71. In the marine environment, a plastic bottle lasts up to 450 years or more.

72. Americans use 50 billion plastic water bottles annually. Global plastic bottle sales reached 480 billion in 2016, up from 300 billion a decade ago.

73. Drink containers account for 14% of all plastic bottle waste in oceans.

74. In 2016, less than half of plastic bottles were recycled than purchased. Out of these less than 7% of the collected ones were used to make new bottles.

How Much Plastic is in the Ocean 2
Pic Credit: Getty Images from Unsplash+

Ocean Plastic Pollution Facts affecting the Environment

75. Too much pollution in the ocean has caused 500 dead zones, each the size of around 245,000 km². This number is expected to double every decade.

76. Dead zones result in a depletion of oxygen, thus compelling marine life to relocate. This migration disrupts the delicate equilibrium of marine ecosystems in various regions.

77. Marine plants produce 50%-70% of Earth’s oxygen and oceans absorb 25%-30% of CO2 emissions. Thus, plastic pollution disrupting the oceans is resulting in an oxygen-carbon cycle managed by them.

Also Read: Glass Recycling Process Explained: How is Glass Recycled?

Plastic Ocean Pollution Facts affecting Humans

78. Plastic pollution in oceans is leading to polluting beer, tap water, and salt with microplastic.

79. Plastic chemicals cause cancer and harm the reproductive, neurological, and immune systems of humans and marine life.

80. It is estimated that every year seafood lovers eat around 11,000 toxic plastic pieces.

81. Excessive plastic consumption is resulting in high BPA urine levels in more than 95% of adults in the US.

plastic pollution facts in the ocean
Pic Credit: Getty Images from Unsplash+

How Do Microplastics Get into the Ocean?

Microplastics originate from multiple sources, including the gradual degradation of larger plastic debris into tinier fragments. Moreover, microbeads also lie within this category. They are minute-manufactured polyethylene plastic particles incorporated as exfoliants in various health and beauty products. For example, certain cleansers and toothpaste. These minuscule elements seamlessly penetrate water filtration systems and find their way into the ocean and Great Lakes thus posing a great danger to aquatic life.

I hope after finding out how much plastic is in the ocean; we will become more aware of our actions. Little efforts count which is why our kids should also be aware of these facts. Together we should try to adopt eco-friendly practices and save nature and animals.

Recommended: 100 Fun and Interesting Recycling Facts

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Olivia is committed to green energy and works to help ensure our planet's long-term habitability. She takes part in environmental conservation by recycling and avoiding single-use plastic.

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