RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A study by Our World in Data showed that the country is behind only the Philippines, India, Malaysia, China, and Indonesia.
People in wealthy countries produce much more plastic waste than in poor countries. However, the equation is reversed when it comes to dumping the most into the ocean, according to a study recently published by Our World in Data.
The Philippines accounts for over a third of plastic dumped in the ocean, according to the Our World in Data analysis of a study originally published in Science Advances journal. Next on the list are other Asian countries: India (12.92%), Malaysia (7.46%), China (7.22%), and Indonesia (5.75%).
Sixth is Brazil (3.86%), the only American country on the list, followed by three other Asian countries: Vietnam (almost 2.88%), Bangladesh (2.52%), and Thailand (2.33%).
The 10th-ranked country dumping the most plastic in the ocean is Nigeria (1.9%), the only African country among the 10 most polluting.
Globally, 11 million tons of plastic waste end up in the oceans each year, one of the main threats to the seas, along with global warming, overfishing, and oil spills.
Plastics can suffocate and trap some aquatic species, and microplastics (less than five millimeters long), can end up in the digestive systems of some marine species that ingest them.
Source: CNN Brasil