World Environment Day: How plastic waste is drowning our oceans

As many as 267 species worldwide have suffered due to entanglement and ingestion of plastic debris floating in our oceans. This included 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species and 43% of all marine mammal species . Yes, a versatile, durable and inexpensive material used in a variety of things such as medical equipment, airplanes holds the greatest potential to harm environment, marine and human life. The scale of contamination of oceans by plastic debris is vast. The numbers are staggering. As much as 8.8 million metric tons of plastic trash is washed into oceans every year. If unchecked, it is estimated that plastic , by 2050, will outweigh fishes in the ocean. On World Environment Day, here’s a look at how plastic is a threat to what we consider lifebood on Earth.

WHO ARE THE CONTRIBUTORS?
The biggest one is China followed by Indonesia and Philippines. Out of 8.8 millions metric tons of waste produced, marine debris finding their way into oceans by China ranges anywhere between 1.32-3.53 millions metric tons.

INDIA NOT BEHIND
India is amongst top 20 coastal populations in the world that sends plastic debris into the ocean. It generates 0.60 million metric tons of plastic waste generated per year. Of which 0.09-0.24 million metric tons find its way into oceans.

Also read : World Environment Day 2018: Theme, Logo & Slogans

In 2017, nearly 200 countries signed U.N. resolution in Nairobi to stop plastic pollution in the sea. However, efforts to curb plastic pollution had been going on in some countries much before. Rwanda, a developing country in Africa is plastic bag free since 2008. France, in 2016, passed a ‘Plastic Ban’ law--which mandate all plastic plates, cups, and utensils to be banned by 2020 and cut the usage to half by 2025.

Source: Journal Science, Cleanwater.org, greenpeace.org