Nearly all the plastic in the oceans comes from 10 rivers in developing countries

[pisacake]

cosmosmagazine.com/biology/just-10-rivers-to-blame-for-millions-of-tonnes-of-ocean-plastic

Two rivers in Indonesia, three in China, one in Nigeria, the Amazon, one in Burma, the Ganges, and one in the Philippines.

“Reducing plastic loads by 50% in the 10 top-ranked rivers would reduce the total river-based load to the sea by 45%,”

An earlier study named 20 rivers with similar conclusions, adding two more in Indonesia, two more in Nigeria, three more in China, one in Taiwan, one in Colombia, and the Mekong

www.nature.com/articles/ncomms15611/tables/1

[BubblesBuddy]

It's the introduction of plastic to replace natural materials and the lack of waste collection and a culture of chucking stuff away anywhere.

[Chestervase1]

Can’t say I’m surprised

[BakerCandlestickmaker]

Please won't someone tell Sky news channel..

[BowlingShoes]

It's a big problem, but I would say it's much harder to get much interest in environmental concerns in a country which is still very poor. Concerns about the planet are much more to the forefront in countries where fewer people are worried about day to day survival.

China and India need to start stepping up their games though. I am not very knowledgeable about it, but I was under the impression that the Chinese government was starting to take environmental policy more seriously?

[PollyPelargonium52]

Sky Atlantic had a really interesting programme about the prevalence of plastic in the oceans and how much it is affecting birds and fish. It was on last night. It was called the Plastic Tide or something like that. The beach was horrific in Mumbai as it had been practically covered in plastic that had come in from the sea tides.

I found it very compelling watching and apparently it is only a matter of time before we are ingesting lots of plastic in our foods too. There is already evidence that the Belgians are consuming plastic in their mussels....! This is because tiny pieces are in the sea and go through the stomachs of those eating the fish without knowing about it .....

[pisacake]

Here's some people beating themselves up over something they have no control over.

www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/item/4f6b6e5d-af94-46c4-9a11-f50aae22136e

"Single-use or disposable plastics are exactly what they sound like: plastics that are used once, then thrown away - everything from carrier bags and water bottles to food wrapping, straws, cutlery, coffee stirrers and cup lids. They are the little life enhancers you normally give no thought to - except, now I am.
It hit me when I watched A Plastic Ocean, by Jo Ruxton. The documentary stated that there was more plastic than plankton in the centre of the Pacific Ocean gyre. "

[GhostsToMonsoon]

I once took some boat trips between cities in the Amazon and, despite the presence of bins on board, many people just threw their rubbish over the side of the boat.

And yes locally there is a lot we could do to reduce plastic consumption.