Vietnam is the top 5 countries that discharge most plastic waste into the sea

Plastic waste not only causes environmental damage, it also has a great impact on the economy and human health.

Vietnam is one of the largest plastic waste water discharges to the sea

According to a study published earlier this year, the world's oceans are suffering from 8 to 9 million tons of plastic waste each year. This figure is 33 times higher than previous predictions.

More than half of this waste comes from 5 Asian countries, led by China with 2.4 million tons, accounting for about 30%. Following China are Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Sri Lanka respectively.

At the same time, in the group of developed countries, only the US is in the top 20 with about 77,000 tons, equivalent to nearly 1% of the total plastic waste dumped into the sea.

Every year the ocean suffers from 8 to 9 million tons of plastic waste.

Thus, it can be seen that economic size and consumption level are only a part of the factors that determine the level of sea pollution. The most important point here is the collection, processing and recycling of waste, which is often left open by developing countries . Meanwhile, the amount of plastic consumed annually in Asia is expected to increase to 80% in the next 10 years, exceeding the threshold of 200 million tons by 2025.

The price of pollution

It is very frightening that when it reaches the sea, plastic waste can take more than 400 years to decompose . Therefore, up to 90% of the floating waste on the sea is plastic waste . According to the worst scenario predicted by the Ocean Conservancy and the McKinsey consulting firm, by the year 2025 on the world's oceans, only 3 tons of fish will have 1 ton of plastic waste.

At that time, plastic waste not only caused environmental damage, but also caused great losses to both the economy and people's health. Economically, an APEC report has shown that marine waste is damaging nearly $ 1.3 billion a year to countries in the bloc.

In terms of health, medical studies have shown that once fishes eat plastic particles floating on the sea, they will suffer from liver disease and die faster than usual. The reason for this is because plastic particles often contain toxic substances such as flame retardant and PCB compounds.

Fish that ingest plastic particles will have tumors (dark pink) leading to cirrhosis and premature death - (Photo: Nature).

A recent study showed that up to 28% of fish sold in markets in Indonesia and 25% of fish in supermarkets in California (USA) contain waste inside the body. And once people eat such fish, it's not difficult to imagine the long-term and harmful effects on health.

Need to act now

According to the Ocean Conservancy and McKinsey report, if the top 5 countries for discharging plastic waste to the sea begin to act today, they can reduce up to 65% of waste by 2025, thereby reducing up to 45% of global waste.

Accordingly, Vietnam can begin to overcome the problem of plastic waste discharge to the sea by increasing investment in 4 solutions: expanding garbage collection network, minimizing leakage from landfills, burning garbage to produce electricity and finally build recycling facilities.

Currently, Vietnam has achieved a high rate of solid waste collection in urban areas (from more than 80% to nearly 100%). However, in suburban and rural areas, where more than two thirds of Vietnam's population is living, this figure is still very modest (between 40 and 60%). The development of collection networks in these areas, as well as effective management of landfills, will certainly contribute to a significant reduction in the amount of waste discharged into the canals and rivers and then into the sea.

In addition, the burning of plastic waste for energy production is also evaluated by the Ocean Conservancy and McKinsey as an economically viable solution for Vietnam, if using advanced incineration technologies to ensure the standards. emission safety standards. Accordingly, plastic waste can become an alternative fuel source for coal in the cement industry. This can reduce the energy burden, especially in the context that Vietnam is starting to import coal.