Coastal Pollution: The Worst Offenders

A study by MIT Technology Review has ranked 66 coastal countries and territories on their progress and commitment toward protecting ocean sustainability, measuring "the degree to which economies are prioritizing the protection of ocean health, through sustainable marine activity, blue innovation, and policy implementation".

This infographic focuses on one particular aspect of the ranking - coastal debris pollution. As the chart shows, the degree to which countries around the world performed in terms of a country's recycling efforts (solid waste recycled as a share of waste management) and beach litter density (litter count per km2) varies greatly.

Taiwan, Germany and Australia ranked the highest on the scale, while the United States was also rated among the best performers. As a region, South America received the lowest scores when looked at collectively, although at the very bottom of the index are Ghana, Cameroon, Angola and Nigeria. When looking at the overall ranking, the United Kingdom comes out at the very top, thanks mainly to its performance in shipping emissions reductions.