Explore the key facts: dominant plastic types, annual volumes, single-use culprits, per-person burden, and health impacts — plus clickable sources.
These items are widely used, lightweight (easy to blow/flow), and often low-value for recycling. That increases leakage risk when collection and sorting are incomplete.
Frequently recorded in beach/coastal litter and along river-linked pathways where plastics move from streets and drains into waterways and then to the ocean.
Mismanaged = uncollected, openly dumped, burned, or leaking from poorly managed disposal.
These items are used briefly, but persist for decades to centuries and fragment into microplastics.
⚖️ Note: These are different definitions (generated vs mismanaged). For strict comparisons, use the same metric for both.
Microplastics are documented in drinking water and can be ingested via food and inhaled via air/dust.
Uncontrolled burning of mixed waste can release harmful pollutants, including dioxins, with serious health risks.
Many chemicals are associated with plastics; international assessments discuss hazard profiles and exposure concerns.
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