How plastic actually gets into the ocean

Plastic doesn’t get into the sea on its own. It travels there usually via leakage from poorly managed waste systems. Understanding this journey is key to shoring up these systems.

Around 19 million tonnes of plastics leak into the environment on a yearly basis. Of this, around 14 million tonnes enters rivers, coasts and other water systems. An estimated 11 million tonnes then reach the ocean, which equates to around 0.5% of all global plastic waste.

How does this happen?

In many areas worldwide, urban growth has outpaced investment in basic services like waste collection, landfills and sewage treatment. In regions where open dumps or unsealed landfills are common, plastic is easily picked up in the wind or washed into waterways. From there, rivers act as plastic channels, carrying waste directly to the sea. 

Just 1,645 rivers worldwide are responsible for the vast majority of this transport - with Asia’s urban mega-rivers leading the charge. Countries like China, India, the Philippines, and Indonesia are among the largest contributors, not because their population gets through more plastic, but because they receive vast amounts of exported waste for supposed treatment and recycling, and often lack the infrastructure to safely manage it.

Industrial leakage, storm runoff water and wastewater discharge also play a role - particularly in flushing microplastics into marine systems. Even sewage sludge used as fertiliser does carry microplastics and plastic fragments from farms back into aquatic food chains.

Rich countries, whilst better at managing waste domestically, still contribute. They often export waste, manufacture unrecyclable products or fail to regulate production. Responsibility for ocean plastic pollution is a shared global issue. However, solutions still must be tailored to how and where the leakage happens, focusing on prevention and containment, not just on cleaning up the mess with energy and cash intensive means.

Throwing litter onto the ground rather than putting it in the bin isn’t great, but it’s not the crux of the issue. Weak systems and corporate irresponsibility are where the blame lies, and we must take action to fix them.

Next in Ocean series: 9/10: How ocean plastics impact marine life

+++++++++++++++++

For more information contact: info@scarabtrust.org.uk

Image: Plastic waste and clothing floating in sea - Image by Naja Bertolt Jensen on Unsplash (ST ref: 1223)