In China, plastic pollution is extremely evident, attributed largely to the fact that the country is the world's biggest producer and consumer of plastics. About 91% of all plastic that has ever been made is not recycled, and 8 to 14 million tons of plastic waste ends up in oceans every single year, causing great harm to marine life, from accidental ingestion and entanglement to increasing the risk of invasive species, which can throw entire ecosystems off balance.
Plastic pollution has long plagued China, along with severe air pollution. The country consumes at least one-fifth of the world's plastics, and in 2020 alone, China produced 60 million tonnes of plastic waste, yet only 16 million tonnes of which was recycled, according to the China National Resources Recycling Association.
China is the largest source of poorly managed plastic waste and is the biggest offender of ocean plastic pollution due to The Yangtze River, which is the longest river in Asia and the third-longest in the world.
Its river basin comprises one-fifth of the country's land area and supports and houses nearly one-third of the population. However, reports have linked the Yangtze river as one of the biggest sources of global plastic pollution, stating the river is responsible for over half of all marine plastic pollution.
Fish is a primary food group for many people in China and as a result of ocean plastic pollution, where plastics slowly break down into smaller debris and particles called microplastics, and it was discovered that all 21 species of sea fish and freshwater fish from Chinese waters have ingested plastic. This means that people eating fish have also been consuming plastics.
Fortunately, the country isn't ignorant of its environmental impacts and has moved to take more aggressive strides to combat this exponentially growing problem. The plan is to promote plastic alternatives such as bamboo, wood, and paper as well as biodegradable plastics over the next five years and clear plastic waste from key lakes and rivers, tourist attractions, and rural areas.
