95% of plastic polluting the world’s oceans comes from just TEN rivers, by Shivali Best.

Up to 95 per cent of plastic polluting the world’s oceans pours in from just ten rivers, according to new research.

The top 10 rivers – eight of which are in Asia – accounted for so much plastic because of the mismanagement of waste. …

Dr Christian Schmidt, a hydrogeologist at Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, Germany, said: … ‘The rivers with the highest estimated plastic loads are characterised by high population – for instance the Yangtze with over half a billion people.

‘These rivers are also in countries with a high rate of mismanaged plastic waste (MMPW) production per capita as a result of a not fully implemented municipal waste management including waste collection, dumping and recycling. …

The only industrialized western country on the list of top 20 plastic polluters is the United States at No. 20. …

While China is responsible for 2.4 million tons of plastic that makes its way into the ocean, nearly 28 percent of the world total, the United States contributes just 77,000 tons, which is less than one percent, according to the study published in the journal Science.

So the bans on plastic bag in the West are just feel good virtue signalling?