30 Facts About Plastic In The Ocean

Plastics are all around us and very few of us stop and think about their impact on our planet and our oceans. Below are 30 facts about plastics and our oceans that will make you stop and think about your plastic consumption. 

90% – Percent of all garbage floating on the ocean’s surface is plastic.

46,000 – Number of plastic pieces per square mile in the ocean.

1 Million  – Number of sea birds killed annually from plastic in the ocean.

100,000 – Number of marine mammals killed annually from plastic in the ocean.

44% – Percentage of seabird species that been documented with plastic in or around their bodies.

100% – Percentage of turtle species that been documented with plastic in or around their bodies.

73% – Percentage of beach litter worldwide is made up plastic.

2.4 Million – Number of cigarette filters found on International Coastal Cleanup Day in 2018.

80% – Percentage of trash in the oceans which came from land-based sources.

500 – Number of oceanic dead zones around the globe.

One-third – Total of all ocean plastic pollution directly contributed by China and Indonesia. 

1 Liter Plastic Bottle – Could break into enough small small segments to leave a piece on every single beach in the world.

1:5 – Ratio of plastics to fish in the ocean by weight. On pace to get to 1:1 by 2050.

1970’s – Until the 1970’s, it was a common and deliberate practice to dump chemicals, garbage, pesticides, radioactive waste and other toxic items into the ocean because corporations and scientists thought they would get dissolved to safe levels.

93% – Percentage of Americans aged 6 or older that have tested positive for BPA (a plastic chemical) in their bodies.

2 Billion – Number people live within 25 miles of the coastline, resulting in 100 million metric tons of coastal plastic waste each year. Even if just 0.01% ends up on the beaches or in the oceans, that is 1 million pounds a year.

8.3 Billion – Number of tons of plastic that has been produced worldwide since the 1950’s. That’s the equivalent of 800,000 Eiffel Towers. And only 9% of it has been recycled.

16 – The number of countries and cities which have banned single-use plastics.

27.4 Billion – Number of disposable diapers thrown away each year.

2 Billion – Number of disposable razors thrown away each year in the United States alone.

1 Billion – Number of plastic skin care & lotion bottles thrown away each year in the United States alone..

100,000 Tons – The amount of chewable gum disposed of each year. Gum is made from synthetic rubber which is a plastic.

87% – Percentage Canadian Arctic birds which have ingested plastics of some sort.

4 Billion – Number of cups Starbucks produces each year which nearly all are single-use.

12 Minutes – Average time use of a plastic bag.

500 Years – Time needed for a plastic bag to decompose.

1 Trillion – Plastic bags consumed worldwide each year.

1 out of 200 – Number of plastic bags that get recycled. Throwing plastic bag into containers for recycling doesn’t mean problem is solved. That equals 955 billion plastic bags end up each year in landfills and, eventually, in the ocean.

4 Times – The number of times that plastic thrown away each year could circle the earth.

600 Billion – Number of plastic water and soda bottles created each year.