New research reveals the current status of global plastic pollution, with India becoming the largest contributor

On September 8, 2024, news from London. A new study by the University of Leeds found that an estimated 52 million tons of plastic waste emissions are generated globally each year. This study uses artificial intelligence to model urban waste management in 50,702 cities around the world and is one of the most detailed inventories of global plastic pollution. Such a large amount of pollution could fill New York's Central Park and reach a height comparable to the Empire State Building.

The research shows that uncollected waste is the largest source of global plastic pollution, accounting for more than two-thirds. About 15% of the global population, or 1.2 billion people, live in an environment without sufficient waste collection services and can only dispose of waste on their own. South Asia is the region with the highest plastic pollution emissions in the world. India is the largest contributor, generating about 9.3 million tons of waste annually, accounting for one-fifth of the global total. Nigeria and Indonesia rank second and third with 3.5 million tons and 3.4 million tons respectively. China ranks fourth. The United States ranks 90th among 246 countries. Many sub-Saharan African countries have low levels of plastic pollution but become "hot spots" in per capita terms.

The researchers called on policymakers to develop a "new, ambitious and legally binding" Plastic Treaty to address the source of the problem. In April this year, after the fourth session of the intergovernmental negotiating committee was held in Canada, progress was made in reaching a global treaty to end plastic pollution. A spokesperson for the US State Department is encouraged by the progress of the negotiations and hopes that the text of the agreement can be finalized by the end of the year. A researcher at the University of Leeds said that detailed local-scale datasets will help decision-makers allocate resources to effectively solve the plastic pollution problem. In addition, an ABC News investigation involved hidden tracking devices that tracked plastic bags from Walmart recycling bins in the United States to controversial plastic processing facilities in Southeast Asia.