Anyone who has witnessed the layers of junk lining the surface of our oceans is likely aware of the extent that pollution is having on our planet's aquatic ecosystems, and this isn't even the worst of it - what you see on the ocean's surface represents only five percent of the plastic trash dumped into the sea, with the rest submerged underneath, according to GlobalPost. Now, a new report from Ocean Conservancy released another alarming statistic: five countries are responsible for up to 60 percent of the plastic waste in the entire world's seas.
The report claims that China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam are responsible for the majority of the waste that is currently consuming our marine ecosystems, despite the image of Westerner's as the highest producers of ocean trash.
"At this rate, we would expect nearly one ton of plastic for every three tons of fish in our oceans by 2025 - an unthinkable number with drastic economic and environmental consequences," said Nicholas Mallos, director of Ocean Conservancy's marine debris program.
One of the reasons for these new statistics is likely the recent rise in Asia's appetite for Western-style consumer junk. However, most of Asia's junk doesn't end up in proper landfills. In the five countries listed above, only around 40 percent of the garbage created is effectively collected. More often, trash is stored in communal dumps where bits and pieces are picked up by the wind and ultimately make their way into the ocean.
Of course, that doesn't get North America off the hook. While the U.S. accounts for less than one percent of the plastic waste that makes its way into oceans every year, when it comes to contribution to plastic waste in general, the numbers are high, according to One Green Planet. In fact, the average American citizen creates more waste per person than the average Chinese citizen, despite the fact that China is the country that contributes the most to plastic waste.
Humans currently put 8 million metric tons of plastic into the ocean each year, and without some serious changes to our behavior and habits, Ocean Conservancy says that this rate will double in 10 years, according to Public Radio International.
