Which Countries Make the Most Plastic Waste?

China just put the brakes on buying up nearly half of the world’s exported plastics, but which country is really to blame for our plastic pollution? Here’s what we know.

Read More:

Dead whale in Indonesia had swallowed 1,000 pieces of plastic
“Park officials found bags, plastic bottles, sandals and 115 plastic cups in the whale's stomach, as well as a sack containing more than 1,000 pieces of string.”

“In 2016, China imported two-thirds of the world’s plastic waste. So when China stopped buying the world’s discarded plastics, it threw markets into turmoil. But it also created opportunity.
Plastic waste imports, millions of metric tons, 2016”

The Violent After Life of a Recycled Plastic Bottle
“Even recyclable plastic items are difficult to process if they haven’t been cleaned properly—hence, the leaflets calling for us to “rinse our recyclables.” The cleaner a plastic bottle is, the easier it is to reincarnate it as something new.”

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[nelsona]

i remember from news when Canada dump their tons of waste to the Philippines.

[stellar]

In India we use single use disposable bowels made of dried leaves(dauna)

[shardulbhalerao]

Was almost certain that was gon see India in the list. Was surprised.

[CmikeDnD]

I've been on the zero waste transition the last year or so and these are the key things I came across, hopefully they're helpful.

I carry a couple things on me at all times in my backpack. I have a small handmade zipper pouch with a bamboo fork, spoon, knife, chopsticks, straw & straw brush. Then I also carry a small 12 oz reusable cup, so when i go to a coffee shop, like starbucks, they give you a discount & only charge you the small size price.

I've migrated most of my clothes over to more handmade cloths on etsy, rather than mass market stores. I aim for Hemp, Linen, & Cotton based material. (hemp underwear and socks are so breathable and so strong, they're awesome)

I something I really really want is made of plastic, I wait it out to feel if I really Need it first.

The biggest thing is I now go to hipster expensive grocery stores. I walk by all the expensive plastic wrapped food, and go straight to the back where they sell everything I need in bulk. So I got reusable cotton bags with labels on them. If I do need to buy food in plastic, like berries for my breakfast, I double check the plastic, but I do know there's a company trying to sell produce in small thin compostable cardboard boxes too.

At work, on my desk I have a 1/2 gallon thermal jug full of water so I don't need to get bottles or use single use small cups.

I also stopped buying toilet paper in massive plastic bags, I buy the single rolls in compostable paper.

I stopped using paper towels, and just use cotton towels (i know this is entering hippie territory) but it's surprisingly easy to not need to spend money on, I just wash my towels. I have some for dishes & kitchen stuff, then I have some for the hardcore cleaning. I save a lot of money with this one.

There's a no plastic online delivery website that sells a bunch of helpful zero waste stuff for home, kitchen, on the go.
packagefreeshop dot com, it's really impressive.

Lastly, I live in LA, and it's a city built for cars, so it's the biggest one I'm working on. Commuting more. I started with a basic bicycle. And Next summer I'm getting rid of my car (insurance, gas, car payments, registration, street parking, etc) and getting a fold-able electric bicycle. I'm getting cycling insurance ($100-$200 per year) and I'll use ride sharing when ever I "need a car"

I'm also looking for a better more portable food container to keep in my bag, so if i get food to go or left overs at a restaurant, I can hand them it and avoid the waste. It can feel like a lot of effort, but at the end of the day, I'm trying to do my best where I can at the weakest points.

[arnavsainath]

The map is wrong, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are real countries not a part of China

[chaitanyabisht]

With people like Kim Kardashian y'all know which country makes most "plastic waste"

[MichaelEdmond]

We should ban any single use plastics, and only use recyclable materials, and not create products that are deliberately hard to recycle like the coffee cups

[jefkoele-wijn]

I use a durable, high quality stainless steel water bottle, so I don't have to buy single use plastic water bottles

[darshanbiswas]

the map of India shown in the video is wrong

[DOGG]

Stats are pretty much useless. The reality is worse. Spend time in a place like Thailand and you will see.

[hollow]

since the earth is flat lets just dump the waste over the edge xD hahahah





im just kiding please dont kill me im not one of those idiots

[misaalanshori]

I'm so proud that my country got public attention! *oh, wait*

[Master_Therion]

It's a small thing, but I've stopped using plastic drinking straws... they suck.

[avadhutpatil]

I was so worried when you said top 5 contributers from Asia, I thought surely India was going to be there due to it's sheer size but seems we are managing plastic waste effectively than other countries. Proud that we are not among the top ocean plastic polluters given that we are a developing country with over a billion population

[adherentofladycolumbia]

Out of sight out of mind doesnt work, even when you ship it around the world

[unleashingpotential-psycho]

We need to do what we can to reduce the amount of waste in this world.

[earthrebranded]

Other tips include: ditching produce bags for naturally coated fruits and veggies (bananas, oranges, onion, garlic, etc), quit seafood!, refusing plastic straws(if possible for you), refusing single use cutlery, quit disposable styrofoam/paper plates, use biodegradable glitter, don’t use

[tcu]

Our waste management company sucks at clearly labeling what can and cannot be processed as far as plastics go. As for the oceans... Can you imagine how painful that'd be to die with 8 cases of water inside you?

[kkk.]

Was expecting india in the list, but I think it is not because Plastic bags are banned, ,

[thothurealbatman]

North Korea is environment friendly country. 🇰🇵🇰🇵🇰🇵😍🇰🇵🇰🇵💓💓💓