March 18th marks Global Recycling Day, however, plastic pollution continues to be a significant issue across the world. A recent study has revealed that Malaysia emits 2.29kg of plastic into the ocean per year – the 5th highest rate in the world!
As part of their Plastic Polluters study, the team at Utility Bidder have considered the countries exporting the most waste, the countries with the highest probability of emitting plastic waste, and the countries with the most mismanaged waste.
The United Kingdom ranked 92nd out of 138 countries profiled, with 0.01kg of plastic waste per person each year emitted to the ocean. The probability of the UK emitting plastic in the ocean is around 3.02%, ranking 34th in the study for this. When it comes to mismanaged plastic waste, the UK sees 0.44% of its waste mismanaged per capita, this low figure indicates a reduction in the possibility of plastic waste entering the ocean.
The research revealed that the Philippines takes the top spot, emitting 3.30kg of plastic waste into the ocean per person each year. In total, more than 350,000 tonnes of plastic waste enter the ocean from the Philippines each year, which is 36% of the world’s total. In 2023, the Philippines introduced the “Extended Producer Responsibility” law, which leaves businesses fully responsible for the life cycle of their products, including waste management.
In second place is Suriname, which emits 2.89kg of plastic waste into the ocean per person each year. The total amount of plastic waste that enters the ocean in Suriname is significantly lower when compared to the Philippines, at just 1,677 tonnes. This South American country is covered in tropical forest, earning itself a reputation as one of the greenest countries in the world. However, its record on waste management contradicts this title.
Our top three is completed by Trinidad and Tobago, where 2.55kg of plastic waste is disposed of into the ocean per person each year. In 2019, Trinidad and Tobago joined the UN Environment’s Clean Seas campaign in an effort to combat its plastic problem. The Caribbean country is also educating its population about the importance of separating household waste.
The probability that plastic waste will be emitted into the ocean is higher in Palau than in any other country, at a 13.74% chance.
Comoros is the country that mismanages the most plastic waste per person each year (70kg), as compared with Somalia where there was no mismanaged waste recorded.
Utility Bidder Managing Director James Longley said: “There are many easy steps we can take to reduce our plastic waste in our day-to-day lives. One of these is through the use of reusable water bottles and cups. Around 1,500 plastic bottles are thrown away every second and only one in 400 coffee cups are efficiently recycled. Utilising reusable cups can also save you money, with many places having bottle-filling stations and coffee shops often offering discounts for those with reusable cups. It should only have enough reusable cups for your needs, over-buying these can harm the environment from emissions and waste from production processes.
Plastic bags result in around 250 marine animals being killed each day, suffocating on these bags that are polluting the oceans. Utilising reusable bags is an ideal way of once again reducing this excess waste. This can also save you money in the long run as you won’t need to pay the plastic bag charge when shopping. Keep these ‘bags for life’ by your front door or in the boot of your car so you don’t forget them on your shopping trips!”
