Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans costs society between $500bn and $2.5tn 2011, according to a study that set out to put a price on the damage caused to the marine ecosystem. The paper, published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, also found that plastic waste could cost up to $33,000 per mt in reduced environmental value. The calculations, which are based on annually’s stock of plastic, estimated to be between 75-150 million mt, only cover the impacts on marine natural capital. The findings therefore represent a “lower bound” of the full economic costs of marine plastic, the authors noted.
Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans costs society between $500bn and $2.5tn annually, according to a study that set out to put a price on the damage caused to the marine ecosystem. The paper, published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, also found that plastic waste could cost up to $33,000 per mt in reduced environmental value. The calculations, which are based on 2011’s stock of plastic, estimated to be between 75-150 million mt, only cover the impacts on marine natural capital. The findings therefore represent a “lower bound” of the full economic costs of marine plastic, the authors noted.