Huge quantities of mismanaged plastic waste make their way into marine environments every year, causing devastating pollution. This can be from littering, illegal dumping, and inadequate waste management. It is estimated that in 2016, the coastal population of the United States (117.94 million) generated as much as 1.45 million metric tons of mismanaged plastic waste. This was one of the highest in the world, behind only India and Indonesia.
Mismanaged plastic waste generated by coastal populations worldwide in 2016, by select country
(in million metric tons)
* The source adds the following information: "The two U.S. estimates provide lower and upper bounds reflecting contributions from domestic litter (0.31 Mt), domestic illegal dumping (0.05 to 0.15 Mt), and inadequate management of plastic waste generated during the processing of imported U.S. plastic and paper scrap in countries with greater than 20% inadequately managed waste (0.15 to 0.99 Mt)."
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AAAS. (October 30, 2020). Mismanaged plastic waste generated by coastal populations worldwide in 2016, by select country (in million metric tons) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved June 25, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1123047/mismanaged-plastic-waste-generated-by-coastal-populations-worldwide/
AAAS. "Mismanaged plastic waste generated by coastal populations worldwide in 2016, by select country (in million metric tons)." Chart. October 30, 2020. Statista. Accessed June 25, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1123047/mismanaged-plastic-waste-generated-by-coastal-populations-worldwide/
AAAS. (2020). Mismanaged plastic waste generated by coastal populations worldwide in 2016, by select country (in million metric tons). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: June 25, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1123047/mismanaged-plastic-waste-generated-by-coastal-populations-worldwide/
AAAS. "Mismanaged Plastic Waste Generated by Coastal Populations Worldwide in 2016, by Select Country (in Million Metric Tons)." Statista, Statista Inc., 30 Oct 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1123047/mismanaged-plastic-waste-generated-by-coastal-populations-worldwide/
AAAS, Mismanaged plastic waste generated by coastal populations worldwide in 2016, by select country (in million metric tons) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1123047/mismanaged-plastic-waste-generated-by-coastal-populations-worldwide/ (last visited June 25, 2022)
