Visualising the world’s addiction to plastic bottles

Plastic bottle garbage constitutes a significant and escalating environmental crisis on a global scale. The widespread use and disposal of plastic bottles have led to a host of ecological and social challenges, making it a pressing concern for individuals, communities, and governments worldwide.

Plastic bottles, commonly crafted from materials like polyethylene terephthalate (PET), have become emblematic of our modern convenience-driven culture. The proliferation of single-use plastic bottles, used to contain water, beverages, and other liquids, has spurred a linear economy model where products are manufactured, used briefly, and then discarded. This culture of disposability is at the heart of the plastic bottle garbage issue.

As consumption patterns have intensified, so has the production of plastic bottles. Mass production of these bottles has not only contributed to immense amounts of waste but has also put a strain on natural resources, particularly the fossil fuels required to manufacture plastic. Once these bottles have served their immediate purpose, they are often discarded haphazardly, ending up in landfills, rivers, and oceans.

Reuters Graphics puts into view the gigantic scale of plastic bottle garbage by comparing it to recognizable world landmarks.

Every hour, close to 54.5 million bottles is dumped in the world. When accumulated, the heap would be higher than the Brazilian statue Jesus Christ.

Plastic Bottles and statue of Jesus Christ

In a day, over 1.3 billion bottles are discarded. If you were to take the lift up the Eiffel Tower, you’d reach the top of this heap about midway up.

In a month about 40 billion bottles are dumped.

481.6 billion plastic bottles were sold in 2018. These bottles gathered in a heap, it would be higher than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai - the tallest building in the world.

The last ten years 4 trillion bottles were sold. If all plastic bottle waste were piled up, New Yorkers would see a plastic mountain every time they watched out their window rising to over half the elevation of the top of the Rocky Mountains.

To learn more about plastic garbage have a look at the following books:

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Find cities with similar climate

This map has been created using The Global environmental stratification. The Global environmental stratification (GEnS), based on statistical clustering of bioclimate data (WorldClim). GEnS, consists of 125 strata, which have been aggregated into 18 global environmental zones (labeled A to R) based on the dendrogram. Interactive map >> Via www.vividmaps.com Related posts: - Find cities with similar climate 2050 - How global warming will impact 6000+ cities around the world?

How Cold Can It Get? The Lowest Temperatures Ever Recorded, Mapped

We often talk about record heat , especially in the context of climate change. But on the flip side, our planet also experiences cold so extreme it defies belief—temperatures that can flash-freeze exposed skin and halt life as we know it. These are not just numbers on thermometers; they’re snapshots of how Earth's atmosphere behaves under specific conditions—altitude, wind patterns, and location far from the moderating effects of oceans. The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth? That title goes to Vostok Station in Antarctica, where scientists measured a bone-cracking −89.2°C (−128.6°F) on July 21, 1983. Located on the East Antarctic Plateau, Vostok is more than 1,000 kilometers from the South Pole and sits atop about 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles) of ice. It’s isolated, dry, and high—three ingredients that make for perfect deep freeze conditions. The world map below created by VividMaps shows the lowest temperature ever recorded by country. The Coldest Inhabited Place on Earth...

Mapping the Hottest Temperatures Ever Recorded on Earth

When summer arrives, it brings not only vacation season but also some of the most extreme heat waves across the globe. While many people associate summer with warm, sunny days, some regions endure scorching temperatures that push the limits of human endurance. To put these extremes into perspective, we’ve mapped the highest temperatures ever recorded in countries around the world. The maps below, created by Vivid Maps , illustrate these record-breaking temperatures and the patterns of extreme heat across the globe. The Hottest Temperature on Record According to historical weather data, the highest reliably recorded temperature on Earth is 56.7°C (134°F) , measured in Death Valley, California , on July 10, 1913 . However, an even higher temperature of 58°C (136.4°F) was reportedly recorded in El Azizia, Libya , on September 13, 1922 . While this Libyan record stood for decades, some meteorologists have questioned its accuracy due to inconsistencies in measurement methods at the ti...

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