Princes of Plastic

It is generally assumed that Asian countries are the worst plastic waste polluters of the oceans. A new study, using the figure for 2016, has shown, however, that the US and the UK achieve top ranking on this measure (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/30/us-and-uk-citizens-are-worlds-biggest-sources-of-plastic-waste-study). This is because around 50% of their 'recycled' plastic waste is exported to other countries, where it is dumped or not disposed of adequately. For example, the US with 4% of the world's population, generates 17% of its plastic waste. As the authors of the report state, responsibility for plastic waste does not disappear, as it crosses your border!