The global plastic waste trade contributes to coastal litter in importing countries, study shows

Plastic waste is an internationally traded commodity, which can be recycled into reusable materials, whereas plastic litter is the pollution that results from untreated waste. PHOTO/Wikimedia Commons.

By PATRICK MAYOYO

newshub@eyewitness.africa

The ubiquitous plastic beverage bottle makes up about half of plastic waste collected for recycling in the U.S. Most recycled plastic is processed domestically, but a portion is traded overseas.

A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign draws on citizen science data to investigate how the global plastic waste trade…