The research team, led by Costas A. Velis, a civil engineering professor at the University of Leeds, discovered that global plastic waste generation reaches 52 million tons annually, with India being the largest emitter. India contributes 18 percent of the global plastic waste, amounting to 9.3 million tons.
Following India, Nigeria and Indonesia are significant contributors, with 3.5 million tons and 3.4 million tons, respectively. China is also a notable emitter.
The research team published its findings in the science journal Nature on Thursday. The team analyzed data from waste management systems and material flows across over 50,000 cities worldwide to estimate national plastic waste emissions.
The study revealed that 57 percent of plastic waste is incinerated illegally, while 43 percent is left discarded. The main causes of plastic waste are identified as illegal dumping in the Northern Hemisphere and inadequate waste collection in the Southern Hemisphere.
"We suggest that our findings can help inform treaty negotiations and develop national and sub-national waste management action plans and source inventories," the researchers said.
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