On this World Oceans Day, the example of the Mediterranean perfectly illustrates the threat of marine pollution: so popular with tourists (and its residents), this sea is indeed considered one of the most polluted in the world...
A study by the International Union for Conservation of Nature reports that the total amount of plastic accumulated in the Mediterranean Sea currently reaches 1.2 million tons!
It is estimated that 229,000 tonnes of plastic waste – composed of 94% macroplastics and 6% microplastics – ends up in the Mediterranean each year!
But who are the biggest suppliers of plastic waste?
With a large population (102 million inhabitants) living mainly at the edge of the water and a rate of badly managed waste which reaches 95%, Egypt contributes massively to this pollution (approximately 75,000 tonnes per year, i.e. nearly a third of the total).
The other three main emitting countries are Italy (38,000 tonnes), Turkey (25,000 tonnes) and Algeria (14,000 tonnes).
Generally speaking, “plastic pollution hotspots” tend to be near the mouths of major rivers (such as the Nile, Rhône or Po) and near major metropolises or urban areas.
As our map also shows, plastic pollution does not only occur in coastal areas.
Some countries that do not border the Mediterranean Sea but are part of its river system, such as Sudan (Nile) or Switzerland (Rhône), also discharge significant quantities of waste.
According to the study, areas within 23 km of the coast are responsible for 35% of macroplastic discharges into the sea, while the remaining 65% come from inland and are transported by runoff to the environment. marine.
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