There is a huge disparity between the situation in developed and developing countries.

Let’s look at an example: for every 30 seconds in the UK, there is enough plastic waste generated to fill 2 double-decker buses. On the other hand, in developing countries, there’s enough plastic waste generated to fill 30 double-decker buses.

This problem implies that developing countries are producing objectively way more plastic waste. South-Eastern and Eastern Asian countries alone are responsible for over 70% of the world’s mismanaged plastic waste.

What are these countries doing with all the plastic waste generated? Many developing countries lack proper waste management facilities, meaning a large portion of that plastic waste ends up in open landfills. And, unfortunately, this is what’s been causing many problems for people’s livelihoods. Mismanaged waste is capable of spreading diseases in a variety of different ways, even if those diseases are preventable. Between 400,000 and 1 million people, every year are dying from illnesses and diseases caused by living near plastic pollution. For context, that’s the death of one person every 30 seconds.

This information is shocking but doesn’t lose hope! As mentioned before, recycling is a viable solution to both the ocean and human plastic crisis. Let's try to focus on that!