How much plastic will be in the ocean in 2050?

Starting with an estimate that 150 million tonnes of plastic are already polluting the world's oceans, and that "leakage" adds at least 9.1 million tonnes more each year — a figure that is said to be growing by five per cent annually — the MacArthur report calculates there will be 850-950 million tonnes of ocean …27 Jul 2019

How much plastic waste will there be in 2050?

If current trends in plastic production and waste management continue as they are, here's where 33 billion metric tons of plastic waste will end up by 2050. To clarify, this is a rough cumulative estimate of all the plastic that's been discarded since 1950.

What Will plastic do in 2050?

Experts say that by 2050 there may be more plastic than fish in the sea, or perhaps only plastic left. Others say 90% of our coral reefs may be dead, waves of mass marine extinction may be unleashed, and our seas may be left overheated, acidified and lacking oxygen.

Will there be more plastic than fish in 2050?

The volume of plastic entering the ocean annually could nearly triple in the next 20 years and by 2050 lead to more plastic in the planet's waters than fish, according to new analysis. … The study found that this volume could almost triple to 29m tonnes each year by 2040.

How much plastic will be in the ocean by 2040?

According to the report, if current production, distribution, consumption, and disposal continue at their current pace, 29 million metric tons of plastic would enter the ocean annually by 2040, the equivalent of dumping 110 pounds (50 kilograms) of plastic on every meter of coastline around the world.

How much plastic is in the ocean 2020?

There is now 5.25 trillion macro and micro pieces of plastic in our ocean & 46,000 pieces in every square mile of ocean, weighing up to 269,000 tonnes. Every day around 8 million pieces of plastic makes their way into our oceans.

What will happen by 2050 if we don’t recycle?

Current estimates are that by 2050 or thereabouts, the reserve won't exist anymore. Manufacturers use fossil fuels to make nylon and plastics, and if humans don't continue to recycle, this energy source may disappear altogether, sooner rather than later.

Will there be fish in 2050?

An estimated 70 percent of fish populations are fully used, overused, or in crisis as a result of overfishing and warmer waters. If the world continues at its current rate of fishing, there will be no fish left by 2050, according to a study cited in a short video produced by IRIN for the special report.

What will happen in 2050 to the ocean?

By 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans. We live on a blue planet; the world's oceans cover three quarters of the Earth. … Ocean acidification is therefore a rising concern.