Macroplastics in the surface ocean, 1950 to 2050
Macroplastics are buoyant plastic materials greater 0.5 centimeters in diameter. Future global accumulation in the surface ocean is shown under three plastic emissionsscenarios: (1) emissions to the oceans stop in 2020; (2) they stagnate at 2020 emission rates; or (3) continue to grow until 2050 in line with historical plastic productionrates.
1950
2050
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- Plastic Pollution
- Where does our plastic accumulate in the ocean and what does that mean for the future?
Charts
- Cumulative displaced plastic waste as a result of Chinese import ban
- Cumulative global production of plastics
- Cumulative plastic exports by top ten exporters
- Cumulative recycled plastic export value by top ten exporters
- Decomposition rates of marine debris items
- Extrapolated change in plastic fate
- Global plastic waste by disposal
- Global plastics production
- Grocery bag comparisons for greenhouse gas emissions
- Grocery bag comparisons of environmental impact
- How much plastic waste did China import?
- Mean product lifetime of plastic uses
- Microplastics in the surface ocean
- Mismanaged plastic waste
- Mismanaged plastic waste per capita
- Mismanaged plastic waste per capita vs. GDP per capita
- Most common items of waste in the ocean by region
- Per capita plastic waste vs. GDP per capita
- Plastic exports to China by top 10 exporting countries
- Plastic waste emitted to the ocean
- Plastic waste emitted to the ocean per capita
- Plastic waste emitted to the ocean per capita vs. GDP per capita
- Plastic waste generation
- Plastic waste generation by industrial sector
- Plastic waste generation per person
- Primary plastic production by industrial sector
- Primary plastic production by polymer type
- Primary plastic waste generation by polymer
- Probability of mismanaged plastic waste being emitted to ocean
- Share of cumulative plastic exports by top ten exporters
- Share of global mismanaged plastic waste
- Share of global plastic waste emitted to the ocean
- Share of ocean plastics that come from the largest emitting rivers
- Surface plastic mass by ocean basin
- Surface plastic particles by ocean basin
- What are the most common items of waste found in rivers and oceans?
- What items of waste do we find in rivers and the ocean?