World drowns in plastic: 57 million tons created annually, study reveals
A groundbreaking study by the University of Leeds revealed that the world generates a staggering 57 million tons of plastic pollution yearly.
This pervades ecosystems from ocean depths to mountaintops and even enters human bodies.
The research was featured in the journal Nature and highlights that over two-thirds of this pollution originates from the Global South.
The study used AI to analyze waste management across 50,000 municipalities. It found that 15% of the global population lacks effective waste collection services.
This significantly contributes to high pollution levels in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Major plastic emitters are the cities of Lagos, New Delhi, Luanda, Karachi, and Cairo.
Lead researcher Dr. Costas Velis emphasizes that addressing uncollected waste should be a global priority.
He also stresses that inadequate waste management is a resource issue rather than a blame game.
The UN warns that plastic production is set to triple, worsening the environmental crisis.