A sweeping new study in the Journal of Environmental Management has amassed the largest-ever continuous dataset on plastic pollution in rivers globally, classifying 66% of the debris analyzed as macroplastic — or large, visible pieces of plastic like bottles, bags, straws and cutlery. Whereas much plastic pollution research relies on models and estimates to make their conclusions, this dataset draws on an unparalleled, locally-led global effort to count trash found in rivers. “We know that rivers worldwide are clogged with plastic — and that this plastic often ends up in…
Read MoreData from Eight Countries Offers First Real-World Assessment of Plastic Pollution in Rivers Worldwide — Finds Two-Thirds of River Trash is Plastic
