Plastic Pollution and Waste

Plastic Production and Waste

• The world produces enough plastic each year to build 50 Pyramids of Giza, equivalent to over 350 million tons.
• Most plastic ends up in landfills, but around eight million tons flow into oceans annually.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

• The largest garbage patch in the world, located in the Pacific Ocean, contains approximately 1.8 trillion individual plastic pieces.
• The patch weighs around 80,000 tons, equivalent to the weight of three Statues of Liberty.
• Half of the patch consists of plastic fishing nets, lines, and ropes, while the other half is made up of hard plastics and films like water bottles and plastic wrap.
• The patch covers an area twice the size of Texas, and if one were to walk at 5 km/h, it would take 121 days to cover the entire area.

Plastic Breakdown and Impact

• Plastic fishing lines take around 600 years to break down and eventually become microplastics.
• Microplastics can be ingested by sea animals and, ultimately, humans who consume those animals.
• Researchers have found ingested microplastics in every species of sea turtle, nearly 60% of whale species, and almost 60% of sea birds.

Future Projections

• The amount of plastic in oceans is expected to outweigh all the world's fish by 2050.
• The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has been growing exponentially for nearly 70 years, and more plastic is pouring into the world's oceans daily.

Plastic Production and Waste

• The world produces approximately 350 million tons of plastic annually, equivalent to building 50 Pyramids of Giza.
• Most plastic waste ends up in landfills, but around eight million tons flow into oceans every year.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

• The largest garbage patch in the world, located in the Pacific Ocean, contains around 1.8 trillion individual plastic pieces.
• The patch weighs around 80,000 tons, equivalent to the weight of three Statues of Liberty.
• Half of the patch consists of plastic fishing nets, lines, and ropes, while the other half is made up of hard plastics and films like water bottles and plastic wrap.
• The patch covers an area twice the size of Texas, and it would take 121 days to cover the entire area at a walking pace of 5 km/h.

Plastic Breakdown and Impact

• Plastic fishing lines take around 600 years to break down and eventually become microplastics.
• Microplastics can be ingested by sea animals and, ultimately, humans who consume those animals.
• Researchers have found ingested microplastics in every species of sea turtle, nearly 60% of whale species, and almost 60% of sea birds.

Future Projections

• The amount of plastic in oceans is expected to outweigh all the world's fish by 2050.
• The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has been growing exponentially for nearly 70 years, with more plastic pouring into the world's oceans daily.

Plastic Production and Waste

• The world produces approximately 350 million tons of plastic annually, equivalent to building 50 Pyramids of Giza.
• Most plastic waste ends up in landfills, but around eight million tons flow into oceans every year.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

• The largest garbage patch in the world, located in the Pacific Ocean, contains around 1.8 trillion individual plastic pieces.
• The patch weighs around 80,000 tons, equivalent to the weight of three Statues of Liberty.
• Half of the patch consists of plastic fishing nets, lines, and ropes, while the other half is made up of hard plastics and films like water bottles and plastic wrap.
• The patch covers an area twice the size of Texas, and it would take 121 days to cover the entire area at a walking pace of 5 km/h.

Plastic Breakdown and Impact

• Plastic fishing lines take around 600 years to break down and eventually become microplastics.
• Microplastics can be ingested by sea animals and, ultimately, humans who consume those animals.
• Researchers have found ingested microplastics in every species of sea turtle, nearly 60% of whale species, and almost 60% of sea birds.

Future Projections

• The amount of plastic in oceans is expected to outweigh all the world's fish by 2050.
• The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has been growing exponentially for nearly 70 years, with more plastic pouring into the world's oceans daily.