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Most people are familiar with the problem of ocean pollution. From enormous oil spills to huge dumpings of plastics, our planet's oceans have to deal with a variety of pollutants on a daily basis. But although ocean pollution is a problem the world over, there are certain countries that are more responsible than others for the huge amount of waste that ends up in the water.
Curious? Check out this gallery to find out more.
When it comes to keeping everything running smoothly on planet Earth, the world’s oceans play a hugely important role.
From providing a home to thousands of biodiverse ecosystems, to helping keep the temperature of the planet down, it is impossible to overstate the importance of the ocean.
Unfortunately, however, this has not prevented humans from pursuing activities that pollute the ocean and jeopardize its future.
Indeed, in recent years, ocean pollution has become an increasingly serious problem, and it’s largely thanks to human negligence and oversight.
If we do not find a way to improve recycling and waste management systems, the problem will only continue to get worse.
Although ocean pollution is a worldwide problem, certain oceans are more polluted than others. In general, the Pacific Ocean is considered to be the most polluted.
The Pacific Ocean is home to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – a large area in the ocean consisting of floating plastic, litter, and debris.
Next up we have the Indian Ocean, which is still hugely polluted, despite supporting multiple communities that rely on the ocean for their livelihood.
It is estimated that 11 million tons of plastic are dumped into the Indian Ocean every year. And that’s not to mention the oil spills.
The third most polluted ocean in the world is the Atlantic Ocean. It is home to two major garbage patches, one in the North and the other in the South.
The Atlantic Ocean is more susceptible to plastic pollution than other oceans, because it has access to major rivers, including the Amazon, Mississippi, and Congo.
The main cause of ocean pollution is non-point sourcing, which is where rainwater picks up pollutants and deposits them into rivers, lakes, and coastal waters.
There are various pollutants involved in non-point sourcing, and they include oil and grease from energy production, as well as fertilizers used in agriculture.
Plastic waste is another key culprit in ocean pollution. In fact, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), plastic waste is responsible for a whopping 80% of marine debris.
In some cases, plastic pollution is caused by non-point sourcing: rainwater or snowmelt washes plastic from overflowing landfills and bins into nearby waters.
In other cases, however, plastic pollution in the oceans is a direct result of dumping, whether intentional or unintentional.
Nine out of the top 10 ocean plastic waste polluters are countries in Asia. At the top of the list is the Philippines, which is estimated to drop 360,000 metric tons of plastic into the ocean every year.
One of the main issues in the Philippines is the lack of recycling infrastructure: without proper access to disposal facilities, more waste ends up in the ocean.
In second place we have India, which is estimated to dump 130,000 metric tons of plastic in the ocean annually.
In the third and fourth spots we have Malaysia and China, with an estimated 73,000 metric tons and 71,000 metric tons, respectively.
And in fifth place is Indonesia, with an estimated annual plastic waste contribution of 56,000 metric tons.
The next five countries in the top 10 are–in descending order of annual plastic waste contribution–Myanmar, Brazil, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Thailand.
In terms of why these countries’ plastic pollution rates are so high, there are a number of factors to consider.
On the one hand, poor waste management can contribute to an increase in landfills, which in turn increases the risk of overflow.
It is also thought that single-use plastics may be partly to blame. These are used more often in certain countries because of their affordability and convenience.
Some Asian countries also have to deal with added pressure from Western countries, who export some of their waste in order to lessen their own burden.
Unfortunately, this can mean that poorer countries with less robust facilities have an unnecessarily large amount of waste to dispose of.
Last but not least, tourism is thought to play a role in plastic ocean pollution. According to one study from 2022, tourism was estimated to generate around 35 million tons of waste annually.
Ocean pollution is harmful not only to marine life and ecosystems, but to humans and society as a whole.
It is only by understanding the full scale of the problem that we can start to take action to tackle it.
Sources: (GreenMatch) (Our World in Data)
See also: How cities around the world are tackling air pollution
A deep dive into ocean pollution: the causes and key contributors
Where is ocean pollution the worst?
LIFESTYLE Environment
Most people are familiar with the problem of ocean pollution. From enormous oil spills to huge dumpings of plastics, our planet's oceans have to deal with a variety of pollutants on a daily basis. But although ocean pollution is a problem the world over, there are certain countries that are more responsible than others for the huge amount of waste that ends up in the water.
Curious? Check out this gallery to find out more.