NEWS

For the first time, researchers have quantified the amount of plastic waste entering the ocean from land. In 2010, an estimated eight million tonnes of plastic waste made its way into the ocean; it is nearly the amount of plastic generated globally in 1961. The results of the study were published in the journal Science on February 13, 2015. Most of the plastic waste that enters the ocean is on account of plastic litter and mismanaged plastic waste systems in several countries. The total amount that ended up in the ocean would have been much higher as the study did not take into account the contribution from other sources like fishing activities or at-sea vessels. Twenty countries accounted for 83 per cent of mismanaged plastic waste that entered the ocean.

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http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/india-pumps-600000-tonnes-of-plastic-waste-into-the-ocean-annually-science-journal/article6890568.ece