Researchers at the University of Leeds built the first inventory of plastic pollution for more than 50,000 municipalities worldwide, tracking where waste goes when it is not collected.
They found that 52 million tonnes of plastic entered unmanaged systems in 2020. About 30 million tonnes (57%) was burned in the open, in homes, streets and dumps, releasing toxic fumes. Roughly 1.2 billion people have no waste collection at all. Around 20 countries account for almost 70% of this plastic pollution, with India the largest single source at 9.3 million tonnes.
The finding matters because it shows the biggest lever against plastic pollution is basic waste collection in the Global South, not anti-littering campaigns in rich countries. It also highlights open burning as a major, under-reported health hazard.
Country rankings in this study reflect population and waste infrastructure, not per-person consumption, which is far higher in wealthy nations.