[Special Article] Everything about Plastic and Our Choice for Tomorrow 2. Plastic Disposal, How It became the Major Cause of Environmental Pollution
The plastic amount annually generated in the world is 4 million tons. Among them, it is disposable packaging that has been contributing the environmental pollution most. How do you think these post-consumer products are managed? Today, we will check how much plastic waste each country produces and how they become a serious cause of pollution. Plastic Waste Generated in Each Country A joint research team with SEA (Sea Education Association) in the U.S. published a report on plastic waste generated in each country at <Science Advances> in October last year. It turns out the U.S. produces the most amount of plastic waste in the world. According to the report, the U.S. officially generated 34 million tons of plastic waste in 2016 and summed up to 42 million tons if including the amount that was illegally dumped or exported. With the population of a country considered, it is noted that the U.S. consumer produces 20% more plastic waste compared to India or China. Now,...