The United States tops in plastic pollution
The United States is the world’s largest producer of plastic waste. An average American uses 130 kilograms of plastic in various ways every year. This information has been highlighted in a report given by the American Congress to the central government on Monday.
The report, entitled “Reckoning with the US Roll in Global Ocean Plastic Waste,” called for a national strategy to address the situation. According to the ‘Save Our Seas 2.0’ Act, which came into force in 2020, Congress has an obligation to submit such reports annually.
Initially, sea-based sources, including ships, were blamed for sea-ocean waste. However, a huge amount of land plastic waste goes to the sea by the river. As a result the sea is getting polluted. Besides, plastic is entering the bodies of thousands of aquatic animals, including fish. Marine fish are included in the human diet.
According to a study, the United States produced about 42 million metric tons of plastic waste in 2016, almost twice as much as China and collectively more than the countries of the European Union (EU).
After the United States, the British are responsible for producing the most plastic waste. An average British citizen produces 99 kilograms of plastic waste a year. A South Korean citizen produces an average of 88 kilograms of plastic waste a year.
According to the congressional report, the global production of plastic waste was 20 million metric tons in 1966 and increased to 381 million metric tons in 2015. In other words, plastic waste has increased 20 times during this time.
