Recycling, China and Plastic in the Ocean

60% of the trash and plastic being dumped into the ocean comes from just 5 countries. They are China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand.

CNBC - Half of the plastic trash in ocean comes from five countries.

China alone dumps 8.8 million metric tons of plastic in the ocean each year. That is more than the next seven nations combined. Since 1992 till 2018 over 106 million metric tons of plastic waste or 45% of the worlds "recyclable" plastic was sent to China for recycling. So how much is being recycled and how much was dumped into the ocean?

Basically, the west sent its plastic to China for recycling, China took and recycled the easy stuff and dumped the rest in the ocean. American companies knew it wasn't being recycled but didn't want to take care of it themselves. Since 2018 China has strictly limited what plastic they will accept from other countries and yet, how many plastic recycling companies have opened in America since then?

So where are we sending the plastic now, much of it is now going to Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand which has resulted in an increase of how much plastic they dump in the ocean.

NPR - China has refused to recycle the west's plastic. What now?

As you dutifully place your used plastic in recycling bins understand where it is really going.