Single-use plastic waste stands as one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Annually, millions of tons of plastic end up in oceans and landfills, wreaking havoc on wildlife and ecosystems. Compounding the issue, plastics take centuries to decompose, breaking down into microplastics that contaminate water and food sources, posing long-term environmental and health risks.
This article visualizes the top 20 countries that generated the most single-use plastic waste per capita in 2019, measured in kilograms per person, based on data from research published in May 2021 and sourced from Statista.
Data and Key Takeaways
The table below lists the countries and their respective plastic waste per capita:
- 1 🇸🇬 Singapore
- 2 🇦🇺 Australia
- 3 🇴🇲 Oman
- 4 🇳🇱 Netherlands
- 5 🇧🇪 Belgium
- 6 🇮🇱 Israel
- 7 ðŸ‡ðŸ‡° Hong Kong
- 8 🇨🇠Switzerland
- 9 🇺🇸 U.S.
- 10 🇦🇪 UAE
- 11 🇨🇱 Chile
- 12 🇰🇷 S. Korea
- 13 🇬🇧 UK
- 14 🇰🇼 Kuwait
- 15 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- 16 🇮🇪 Ireland
- 17 🇫🇮 Finland
- 18 🇯🇵 Japan
- 19 🇫🇷 France
- 20 🇸🇮 Slovenia
Observations
The countries listed span various regions, underscoring that plastic waste generation is a global issue. Notably, many of the top 20 countries are wealthier, developed nations. Higher levels of consumption in these countries, coupled with greater access to packaged goods, take-out services, and disposable products, contribute significantly to their plastic waste generation.
Absence of China and India
It is important to highlight that this ranking is based on plastic waste per capita, not the total amount of waste produced by a country. Consequently, major polluters like China and India do not appear in this list. This focus also emphasizes the demand side of plastic use, rather than the production side, indicating where plastic products are consumed rather than where they are manufactured.
This data provides critical insights into the scale and distribution of single-use plastic waste, emphasizing the need for global and localized strategies to address plastic pollution effectively.
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