Why Reduce Plastic?

PLASTIC POLLUTION FACTS AND STATS

​

Plastic pollution can now be found on every beach in the world, from busy tourist beaches to uninhabited, tropical islands nowhere is safe.

​

Scientists have recently discovered microplastics embedded deep in the Arctic ice.

​

In 1950, the world’s population of 2.5 billion produced 1.5 million tons of plastic; in 2016, a global population of more than 7 billion people produced over 320 million tons of plastic. This is set to double by 2034.

​

Every day approximately 8 million pieces of plastic pollution find their way into our oceans.

​

There may now be around 5.25 trillion macro and microplastic pieces floating in the open ocean. Weighing up to 269,000 tonnes.

​

Plastics consistently make up 60 to 90% of all marine debris studied.

​

Approx 5,000 items of marine plastic pollution have been found per mile of beach in the UK.

​

Over 150 plastic bottles litter each mile of UK beaches.

​

Recent studies have revealed marine plastic pollution in 100% of marine turtles, 59% of whales, 36% of seals and 40% of seabird species examined.

​

100,000 marine mammals and turtles and 1 million sea birds are killed by marine plastic pollution annually.

Information from Surfers Against Sewage