United Nations: Globally, 52 million tons of plastic are dumped into the ocean every year

On June 8, the United Nations released the third World Ocean Assessment report, which warned that the ocean is in serious crisis due to human behavior.

The report is the research work of 600 scientists from 86 countries, assessing the “health” of the ocean in the period 2021-2025. According to statistics, more than 52 million tons of plastic are discharged into the ocean each year, a significant increase compared to the 4.8-12.7 million tons in the second report in 2021.

Of which, disposable plastic waste accounts for 40%, fishing gear accounts for 15% of the total amount of waste entering the ocean. Plastic enters every layer of the ocean, including deep ocean trenches. The surface water layer alone is estimated to have about 24,400 billion microplastic particles.

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic less than 5mm in size, leaking from many products such as tires, clothes, cosmetics, paint and plastic items. This pollution affects more than 4,000 marine species. Blue whales, the world’s largest mammal, can eat up to 10 million pieces of microplastic per day, equivalent to about 43 kg.

To solve the problem of plastic pollution, countries have been trying to find a global plastics treaty for the past 6 years, aiming to limit the output of the $1,100 billion plastic industry. The next round of negotiations is expected to take place in March 2027.

While waiting for an agreement to reduce production, experts say it is urgent to innovate materials and increase alternatives to single-use plastic. However, these alternative solutions still face some price and sustainability hurdles.

Also according to the United Nations report, climate change and industrial fishing cause widespread biodiversity loss, putting the ocean ecosystem in serious crisis. The increase in sea water temperature occurs more frequently after 2018. According to scientific observations, the Atlantic Ocean, the southern Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean have the highest temperature increase.

Scientists also warn that the rate of sea level rise has doubled, from 2 mm to 4.3 mm in the period 2015-2023. In addition, the deep-sea world is still poorly understood, with only 27% of the ocean floor mapped, as of 2025.

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said that “it is impossible to continue to consider the ocean as an inexhaustible resource”. He called for urgent global cooperation to protect marine ecosystems.

Countries have signed 57 treaties to protect the ocean. In particular, the High Seas Treaty, which took effect at the beginning of this year, is considered a landmark, with international rules protecting two-thirds of the global ocean area, which is outside the jurisdiction of countries.

The sea accounts for 70% of the planet’s area, plays a central role in regulating climate, maintaining biodiversity and providing food, minerals and energy for humans. According to the report, the ocean has absorbed 90% of the excess heat and 30% of the CO2 released into the atmosphere from fossil fuel burning.

Demography is a major factor influencing the marine environment. The global population increases from 7.7 billion people in 2017 to 8.2 billion people by the end of 2024. More than a third of the population lives within 100 km of the coast, 11% live on land less than 10 meters above sea level.