The world’s oceans will contain, by weight, more plastic than fish by 2050, according to a new report by the World Economic Forum. Massive amounts of plastic packaging are being thrown away after one use, with only 14 percent of the material being collected for recycling. The study says 8 million tons of plastics end up in the ocean every year — the equivalent of one garbage truckload of waste every minute.

This TIME video explains the ecological impact:

“If no action is taken, this is expected to increase to two [truckloads] per minute by 2030 and four per minute by 2050. Estimates suggest that plastic packaging represents the major share of this leakage,” the report says.

Find out more here.

–Posted by Roisin Davis

Wait, before you go…

If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.

Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.

Support Truthdig