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Real-time plastic pollution tracker
Direct answer:
Every year, approximately 11 million tonnes of plastic enters our oceans. That’s roughly one garbage truck every minute.
“Every day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans, rivers, and lakes.”
Source: UNEP
This tracker converts peer-reviewed annual estimates into a live counter, showing plastic entering the ocean in real time. Every number is transparent, sourced, and verifiable.
Live plastic tracker
Estimated plastic entering the ocean in 2024, based on verified annual rates.
Plastic entered the ocean this year
0 kg
of plastic waste
Updates every second · starting January 1 · source
Today so far
0 trucks
0 kg
Since midnight UTC
Projection: when plastic could outnumber fish
Based on current trajectories. See methodology
Global plastic pollution overview
Global dataA snapshot of the world’s plastic footprint, from production to ocean leakage. Each figure is sourced from peer-reviewed research and international reports.
Annual plastic production
460 million tonnes
≈ 4.6 million blue whales in weight
Total plastic produced globally per year.
Mismanaged plastic waste
82 million tonnes
≈ 14 million elephants
Plastic not properly collected, recycled, or disposed of.
Ocean-bound plastic
11 million tonnes
≈ 1.6 million garbage trucks
Annual plastic leakage into the oceans (mid-range estimate).
Ocean plastic counter and annual breakdown
Ocean dataThis section focuses on marine plastic leakage: how much enters the ocean, how estimates are derived, and the range of values across scientific studies.
Plastic entering oceans this year
0 garbage trucks
0 kg
Live estimate based on 11 million tonnes per year.
Range across studies
- • Lower bound: 8 million tonnes/year
- • Mid-range (our estimate): 11 million tonnes/year
- • Upper bound: 14 million tonnes/year
Annual breakdown
Translating 11 million tonnes per year into relatable time slices:
Per day
~4,300 garbage trucks
≈ 30,100 tonnes
Per hour
~180 garbage trucks
≈ 1,250 tonnes
Methodology and verified sources
AuthorityEvery figure on this page is derived from peer-reviewed research and authoritative international reports. This section documents our methodology, data sources, and calculations.
1. Core calculation methodology
Annual rate source:
We use the peer-reviewed estimate of 11 million metric tonnes of plastic entering the ocean annually. This represents the mid-range estimate from multiple scientific assessments.
Calculation steps:
Step 1: Convert to kilograms
11,000,000 tonnes × 1,000 kg = 11,000,000,000 kg/year
Step 2: Calculate rate per second
11,000,000,000 kg ÷ 31,557,600 seconds = 348.68 kg/s
Step 3: Bottle equivalent
348.68 kg × 50 bottles/kg = ~17,434 bottles/second (PB methodology)
2. Size comparisons and conversions
To make large numbers easier to visualise, we use these reference points based on verified averages:
Reference conversions:
-
1 kg = 50 plastic bottles
Based on small PET bottles (350–600mL). Weighted average: 56.39 bottles/kg, rounded to 50 as conservative estimate.
Source: Plastic Bank (2023) -
1 garbage truck ≈ 7 tonnes
Conservative industry estimate for mixed municipal waste. -
1 blue whale ≈ 100 tonnes
Most adults weigh 72–135 tonnes; we use ~100 tonnes (midpoint) for comparisons.
Source: Natural History Museum -
1 African elephant ≈ 6 tonnes
Average adult male African savanna elephant.
Source: San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
3. Primary scientific sources
Jambeck et al. (2015) — Foundational study
Citation: Jambeck, J. R., et al. (2015). Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science, 347(6223), 768-771.
This landmark study estimated 4.8–12.7 million metric tonnes of plastic waste entered the ocean in 2010.
View study →Borrelle et al. (2020)
Citation: Borrelle, S. B., et al. (2020). Predicted growth in plastic waste exceeds efforts to mitigate plastic pollution. Science, 369(6510), 1515-1518.
Projected annual plastic waste entering aquatic ecosystems could reach 11 million metric tonnes by 2025.
View study →OECD Global Plastics Outlook (2022)
Citation: OECD (2022). Global Plastics Outlook: Economic Drivers, Environmental Impacts and Policy Options.
Comprehensive analysis of global plastic production (460 million tonnes) and waste management.
View report →UNEP — Plastic pollution overview
Quote: “Every day, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans, rivers, and lakes.”
United Nations Environment Programme overview of the global plastic pollution crisis.
View source →Plastic Bank — Bottle equivalent methodology (2023)
Finding: 1 kg of collected plastic = 50 plastic bottles (rounded down from 56.39 weighted average across Indonesia and Philippines samples).
Research conducted across 102 collection branches measuring small PET bottles (350mL–600mL) to establish a standardized conversion metric.
View methodology →4. Data range and uncertainty
Scientific estimates vary based on methodology. Our counter uses the mid-range estimate of 11 million metric tonnes per year.
Estimated range across studies:
- • Lower bound: ~8 million metric tonnes/year
- • Mid-range (used in counter): 11 million metric tonnes/year
- • Upper bound: ~14 million metric tonnes/year
Facts, figures, and live news
EngagementQuick facts
How much plastic is in the ocean?
Estimates suggest 75–199 million tonnes, with large uncertainty bands due to measurement challenges.
Top sources of ocean plastic
Over 1,000 rivers account for 80% of riverine plastic emissions; fishing gear is a major ocean-based source.
How long does plastic last?
Degradation takes several hundred years. Plastics rarely degrade fully, instead fragmenting into microplastics.
Latest plastic pollution news
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Cite this page
CitationThis page provides peer-reviewed, data-backed estimates of global plastic pollution. Use the citation generator below to properly cite this resource.
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Why cite this page?
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Peer-reviewed sources: All data derives from published scientific research and authoritative international reports.
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Transparent methodology: Every calculation is documented with clear sources and assumptions.
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Real-time updates: Live counter provides current estimates based on verified annual rates.
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Easy to understand: Complex data translated into relatable equivalents for better understanding.