Plastic Pollution in Oceans To Witness Two-Fold Surge by 2030

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The latest assessment report published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that plastic pollution in oceans and other water bodies could more than double by 2030. The report states that there exists a growing threat across all ecosystems.

UNEP noted that greenhouse gas emissions from plastics totalled 1.7 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2015. By 2050, it is projected to increase significantly to around 6.5 gigatonnes. As of now, plastics account for nearly 85% of all marine litter. By 2040, it will nearly triple by adding around 23-37 million metric tonnes of waste into the ocean every year.

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The impacts of plastic pollution are not only limited to the environment. It results in serious consequences for the global economy as well. The costs associated with cleanups as well as the impact on tourism, fisheries and aquaculture were estimated at around 6-19 billion dollars in 2018. The impact is likely to touch around $100 billion by 2040.

UNEP recommends accelerated transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies and shift towards more circular approaches to help reduce plastic waste. It calls for drastic reduction in unnecessary, avoidable and problematic plastic in effectively addressing global pollution crisis.