A current examine reveals that the world generates 52 million metric tons of plastic air pollution annually, with a good portion coming from international locations within the World South. This staggering quantity may fill New York Metropolis’s Central Park to the peak of the Empire State Constructing. The examine, led by the College of Leeds, examined waste manufacturing throughout greater than 50,000 cities and cities globally.
Greater than two-thirds of this air pollution comes from international locations with poor waste assortment providers, primarily in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. India tops the listing as the most important contributor to plastic waste, producing 9.3 million metric tons yearly, adopted by Nigeria and Indonesia. China, regardless of being a big producer, has made strides in decreasing its plastic waste era, rating fourth. The examine additionally highlights the well being dangers posed by the open burning of plastic waste, a typical apply in areas with inadequate waste administration techniques.