In a shocking research finding, the amount of plastic waste entering the ocean from land has been quantified. Five years back, an estimated 8 million tons of plastic waste was dumped into the ocean, roughly equal to the amount of plastic generated globally in 1961. Moreover, much of the plastic waste making its way into the ocean has been attributed to plastic litter and mismanaged plastic waste systems in many countries. The total amount that ended up in the ocean, however, would be much higher as the study did not take into account the contribution from fishing activities or at-sea vessels.

Some 21 nations make up for 84 per cent of mismanaged plastic waste that entered the ocean. The countries dumping the highest amount of waste into the ocean were arrived at by considering data like population and the quality of waste management systems in place. China has the dubious distinction of being at the first position, with 8.8 million tons per year of badly managed plastic waste. India, with a whopping 0.6 million tons per year is ranked 12th. Further 11 Asian and Southeast Asian countries including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Burma feature on this not- so illustrious list.

The cumulative amount of plastic debris and tit bits entering the ocean in the next decade has been calculated to be more than double the figure of 8 million tons, given that no improvement to manage waste properly is brought about in coastal countries. In 2010 these nations generated 275 million tons of plastic waste.

It is predicted that by 2025, a 50 per cent improvement in waste disposal in the 20 top-ranked countries could bring down the mismanaged waste by 40 per cent. Alternatively, a 26 per cent reduction in waste can be achieved by 2025, if per capita waste generation is brought down to 1.7 kg/ day in the countries that exceed it.