ALARMING! India Is World's Largest Plastic Polluter, Reveals Study; 9.3 Mn Tonnes Of Waste Generated In 2020

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) A new study conducted by scientists at the University of Leeds has revealed a staggering global plastic pollution crisis, highlighting the deadly consequences of insufficient waste collection. The research, which utilized artificial intelligence (AI) modelling, identified the 10 countries responsible for the highest levels of plastic pollution and warned that millions of lives are at risk due to the improper disposal of waste.

52 million tonnes of plastic uncollected in 2020

According to the study, 52 million tonnes of uncollected plastic waste were released into the environment in 2020, significantly raising health concerns for the affected populations. Dr. Costas Velis, the lead author of the study, emphasized the severity of the issue:“This is an urgent global human health issue-an ongoing crisis: people whose waste is not collected have no option but to dump or burn it.”

AI-powered modelling, based on data from 500 cities across 127 countries, allowed researchers to predict annual waste production and track the fate of plastic. Globally, more than 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced every year, and approximately 52 million tonnes of it are either burned or dumped openly, contributing to environmental degradation and severe health risks.

(Infographic Credit: Dr. Angeliki Savvantoglou of Bear Bones)

India: The world's biggest plastic polluter

Contrary to earlier studies that identified China as the leading contributor to global plastic pollution, the latest findings revealed that India is now the top polluter. In 2020, India generated 9.3 million tonnes of plastic waste, accounting for nearly a fifth of the world's uncollected plastic. This situation is exacerbated by the country's massive population of 1.4 billion and poor waste collection infrastructure.

India's plastic waste output exceeds that of Nigeria and Indonesia, the second and third largest polluters, respectively. Nigeria produced 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste, closely followed by Indonesia with 3.4 million tonnes. China, once the world's largest polluter, has improved its waste collection and processing systems, dropping to fourth place with 2.8 million tonnes.

High plastic production in Sub-Saharan Africa

The report also highlights significant concerns in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite producing less plastic overall compared to larger nations, countries in this region generate a disproportionately high amount of plastic waste per capita. For example, the Democratic Republic of the Congo was ranked as the tenth biggest producer of plastic waste in 2020, contributing one million tonnes. Sub-Saharan Africa averaged 12 kilograms of plastic pollution per person in 2020, the equivalent of 400 plastic bottles per person annually.

In comparison, the UK, which ranked 135th in the study, produces just three plastic bottles worth of pollution per person each year, generating only 4,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually. The US, though more significant in plastic production, ranked 90th, with 47,649 tonnes of waste per year-over 10 times more than the UK.

(Infographic Credit: Dr. Angeliki Savvantoglou of Bear Bones)

Burning of plastic waste: A serial killer

One of the most alarming findings from the study is the prevalence of open burning of plastic waste in countries lacking proper waste collection. In 2020, over half of the world's uncollected waste-30 million tonnes-was burned without environmental controls, releasing harmful toxins into the air.

Dr. Velis noted the devastating effects of this practice,
“Setting the plastics on fire may seem to make them 'disappear,' but the open burning of plastic waste leads to substantial human health damage, including neurodevelopmental, reproductive, and birth defects, as well as widespread environmental pollution.”

Communities in poorer countries, which lack access to safe disposal methods, are the most affected by these toxic emissions. The study estimates that 15% of the world's population-roughly one billion people-live without waste collection services, leaving them vulnerable to the health risks posed by plastic pollution.

Waste exports and global inequities

The researchers also highlighted the ethical concerns surrounding the export of waste from richer countries to poorer nations. Although it is illegal in the UK to export waste for anything other than recycling, investigations have shown British waste being dumped illegally on roadsides in Turkey and in landfills in Indonesia. This global inequality worsens the pollution crisis, as poorer nations are left to manage waste from wealthier countries without adequate facilities.

Dr. Josh Cottom, a co-author of the study, stressed the importance of addressing this crisis, "The health risks resulting from plastic pollution affect some of the world's poorest communities, who are powerless to do anything about it. By improving basic solid waste management, we can both massively reduce plastic pollution and improve the lives of billions.”

(Infographic Credit: Dr. Angeliki Savvantoglou of Bear Bones)

The study underscores the urgent need for global cooperation to address the plastic waste crisis. While developed nations, such as those in Europe and the US, produce significant amounts of plastic, they tend to manage it more effectively through better collection and processing systems. However, the research emphasizes that wealthier countries must take responsibility for the waste they generate and ensure that it is not offloaded onto poorer nations without the capacity to handle it.

Improving solid waste management in developing countries, increasing investment in recycling infrastructure, and enforcing stricter regulations on waste exports are critical steps needed to combat the growing plastic pollution problem. Without such measures, millions of lives remain at risk, and the environmental impact of plastic waste will continue to worsen.

Which countries produce the most plastic waste?

India: 9,275,777

Nigeria: 3,532,479

Indonesia: 3,352,229

China: 2,808,179

Pakistan: 2,567,461

Bangladesh: 1,748,215

Russia: 1,702,453

Brazil: 1,444,824

Thailand: 995,718

Democratic Republic of the Congo: 963,328

Philippines: 819,843

Egypt: 807,596

Iraq: 799,891

Tanzania:
778,932

Mexico: 767,447

Vietnam: 754,959

Myanmar: 725,433

Ethiopia: 651,876

Uganda: 617,565

South Africa: 609,757

Kenya: 602,475

Iran: 560,725

Angola: 550,441

Sudan: 529,961

Turkey: 486,398

Afghanistan: 457,234

Cameroon: 432,957

Ukraine: 417,655

Cambodia: 413,564

Uzbekistan: 395,211

Côte d'Ivoire: 394,834

Ghana: 385,727

Morocco: 385,558

Algeria: 379,622

Argentina: 350,880

North Korea: 344,633

Syria: 328,329

Yemen: 327,239

Mozambique: 323,380

Sri Lanka: 273,779

Peru: 270,769

Guatemala: 263,614

Venezuela: 249,864

Nepal: 238,989

Kazakhstan: 238,988

Haiti: 229,493

Somalia: 225,305

South Sudan: 215,243

Zambia: 215,139

Senegal: 214,610

Chad: 211,833

Mali: 205,639

Rwanda: 201,068

Malaysia: 197,552

Madagascar: 190,784

Burkina Faso: 185,331

Malawi: 171,474

Benin: 168,522

Zimbabwe: 162,871

Tajikistan: 156,028

Paraguay: 154,547

Colombia: 153,451

Burundi: 145,231

Romania: 141,944

Tunisia: 129,723

Papua New Guinea: 129,684

Laos: 127,090

Honduras: 126,403

Serbia: 126,143

Jordan: 124,391

Niger: 122,201

Kyrgyzstan: 118,570

Togo: 99,108

Nicaragua: 99,108

Azerbaijan: 90,491

El Salvador: 89,809

Ecuador: 88,460

Guinea: 85,918

Mauritania: 83,749

Republic of Congo: 79,951

Bolivia: 79,523

Dominican Republic: 79,382

Turkmenistan: 70,966

Liberia: 60,755

Sierra Leone: 59,936

Belarus: 55,703

Central African Republic: 50,706

Bulgaria: 50,612

Cuba: 48,447

United States: 47,649

Lesotho: 44,823

Eritrea: 43,719

Lebanon: 43,520

Panama: 41,213

Libya: 40,313

Namibia: 36,896

Bosnia and Herzegovina: 33,423

Equatorial Guinea: 33,101

Mongolia: 32,469

Botswana: 32,272

Gambia: 29,142

Palestina: 28,427

Georgia: 27,950

Costa Rica: 24,190

Jamaica: 23,653

Albania: 22,259

Guinea-Bissau: 22,175

Kosovo: 20,974

Swaziland: 20,084

Djibouti: 19,978

Timor-Leste: 18,139

Moldova: 17,712

Macedonia: 16,312

Armenia: 15,872

Comoros: 11,306

Chile: 11,283

Solomon Islands: 8,956

France: 8,832

Gabon: 7,838

Germany: 7,725

Italy: 7,684

Poland: 7,079

Maldives: 7,015

Belize: 6,972

Trinidad and Tobago: 6,962

Guyana: 6,907

Spain: 6,241

Vanuatu: 6,209

Japan: 6,185

Fij:i 6,182

Montenegro: 5,762

Bhutan: 5,694

Cape Verde: 5,693

Western Sahara: 4,736

United Kingdom: 4,622

Suriname: 4,199

São Tomé and Príncipe: 3,681

Saudi Arabia: 3,444

Mayotte: 3,079

Canada: 3,024

Oman: 3,019

South Korea: 2,857

Hungary: 2,707

Samoa: 2,613

Mauritius: 2,544

Australia: 2,198

Greece: 1,909

Puerto Rico: 1,909

Czech Republic: 1,549

Taiwan: 1,398

Lithuania: 1,393

Micronesia: 1,361

Kiribati: 1,354

Austria: 1,239

Saint Lucia: 1,185

Portugal: 1,181

Belgium: 1,167

Netherlands: 1,156

Tonga: 1,123

Slovakia: 1,087

Uruguay: 961

Latvia: 956

Sweden: 918

United Arab Emirates: 918

French Guiana: 916

Croatia: 901

Dominica: 798

Switzerland: 731

Grenada: 694

Finland: 663

Ireland: 659

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: 607

Denmar:k 606

Israel: 605

Norway: 527

Slovenia: 525

New Zealand: 518

Marshall Islands: 465

Reunion: 392

Hong Kong: 341

Kuwait: 273

American Samoa: 238

Bahamas: 237

Guadeloupe: 236

Estonia: 224

Anguilla: 218

Martinique: 197

Palau: 195

Singapore: 175

Qatar: 171

Greenland: 142

Barbados: 138

Seychelles: 121

Wallis and Futuna: 119

Curaçao: 112

Tuvalu: 112

Cyprus: 106

New Caledonia: 99

Saint Helena: 89

Northern Cyprus: 89

Virgin Islands, U.S.: 78

Brunei: 77

Antigua and Barbuda: 71

Luxembourg: 69

Aruba: 68

Saint-Martin: 63

French Polynesia: 55

Bahrain: 55

Christmas Island: 48

Saint Kitts and Nevis: 43

Guam: 41

Malta: 34

Cayman Islands: 32

Iceland: 31

Niue: 30

Northern Mariana Islands: 27

Macao: 25

British Virgin Islands: 24

Turks and Caicos Islands: 24

Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba: 23

Sint Maarten: 21

Montserrat: 20

Tokelau: 16

Faroe Islands: 14

Andorra: 12

Jersey: 10

Isle of Man: 9

Bermuda: 8

Guernsey: 8

Cocos Islands: 7

Paracel Islands: 7

Åland: 6

Nauru: 6

Cook Islands: 5

Akrotiri and Dhekelia: 5

Saint-Barthélemy: 5

Liechtenstein: 5

San Marino: 5

Falkland Islands: 3

Monaco: 2

Saint Pierre and Miquelon: 1

Gibraltar: 1

Pitcairn Islands: 1

Svalbard and Jan Mayen: 1

Norfolk Island: 1

Vatican City: 0

*All figures in tonnes per year

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