Waste in the world

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There are more than 7 billion people in the world. 3 billion people live in urban areas and produce 1.3 billion tons of solid waste per year.
In 2025, waste production will increase up to 2.2 billion tons per year.
Hong Kong produces almost 14,000 tons of solid waste per day.
Every year, 125 million tons of plastic material are produced. 80% becomes waste.
80% of plastic waste reaches the sea via rivers, the rest via vessels.
Due to currents, there exist 5 big islands of waste in the oceans.
Satellites do not locate the plastic islands due to the smallness of the debris pieces that flow on the water surface: their exact size is unknown.
The waste island in the northern Pacific ocean is estimated to measure between 700,000 km2 and 10 million km2 (the size of the United States).
The islands are not cleaned because no State recognizes the waste as theirs.
Decomposition time of waste:
Cardboard box: 2 months
Cigarette filter: 1-5 years
Plastic bag: 10-20 years
Metal tin: 50 years
Aluminium tin: 200 years
Plastic bottle: 450 years
Fishing line: 600 years
Glass bottle: unknown

Fonti

ISWA; World Bank; Welt der Wunder Magazine; CBS; Ocean Conservancy; 5 Gyres Institute