Plastics entering the world’s oceans may nearly triple by 2040 if the situation is left unchecked, according to a recent study.
The amount of seaborne plastic waste has surged dramatically since 2005, to an estimated 171 trillion plastic particles by 2019, according to research published on March 8 by the 5 Gyres Institute, a U.S.-based non-profit working to reduce plastic pollution.
The organization claims to have covered more than 50,000 nautical miles on 19 research expeditions over 10 years, combing the oceans for plastic and discovering 5.25 trillion particles of plastic smog, equaling 270,000 metric tons.
Experts say that over 300 million tonnes of plastic products are produced worldwide annually, while the amount of waste generated from the plastics gradually accumulates every year….