Where does the plastic in the ocean come from?

A new study published in @ScienceAdvances updates our understanding.

My latest @OurWorldInData article looks at the global picture of plastic pollution: https://ourworldindata.org/ocean-plastics 

Thread">https://ourworldindata.org/ocean-pla... of key points https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten">
Previous studies suggested a small number of big rivers accounted for most of ocean plastics.

But higher-resolution data suggests many more small rivers play a big role.

To cover 80% of plastic inputs you need to tackle > 1,000 rivers.

1/
Factors that matter a lot for a river& #39;s plastic inputs:
– waste management practices
– distance to coast
– cities nearby
– precipitation rates
– slope of terrain

Here are the top 10 rivers https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten">
(most are small rivers in the Philippines)

2/
Previous modelling did not have such high-resolution data on topography, terrain, climate etc.

Therefore put more emphasis on the *size* of the river basin. So it assumed: large river basin = lots of plastic inputs.

That& #39;s why the latest results are markedly different

3/
The regional distribution of plastic inputs is similar to previous studies.

Most plastic inputs come from rivers in Asia (81%).

4/
But some of the smaller countries in Asia play a larger role.

One-third comes from the Phillippines. It has a lot of small rivers with cities close to the coast.

5/
What people often get wrong about plastic pollution:

They underestimate how important waste management is.

It& #39;s not the case that using more plastic use = more pollution.

Most rich countries contribute very little because they manage the waste.

6/
Improving waste management is not a sexy solution. Most people find it boring.

But if you& #39;re serious about tackling plastic pollution, this is where to put your focus and investment.

7/
And @TheOceanCleanup has a beautiful high-resolution map with all the rivers that I recommend you check out: https://theoceancleanup.com/rivers/ 

/end">https://theoceancleanup.com/rivers/&q...
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