Millions of tons of plastic end up in oceans each year

Researchers estimated how much plastic gets thrown in the ocean each year by looking at how much plastic was produced in 2010 and how much turned up as litter on the world’s beaches like this one in the Canary Islands.

Malin Jacob

By Beth Mole

February 12, 2015 at 5:04 pm

During 2010, 4.8 million to 12.7 million metric tons of plastic seeped into the ocean, researchers estimate in the Feb. 13 Science.

For decades, scientists have worked to tally the amount of plastic swirling through the sea and vexing aquatic life. Recent estimates suggest that up to 35,000 tons are adrift. But such estimates don’t capture the plastic that sinks or degrades.

In the new study, researchers made stepwise estimates from the amount of plastic produced in 2010 (275 million metric tons total) to how much turned up as litter in 192 coastal countries that same year. The estimate is the first comprehensive calculation of how much plastic waste sets sail annually.