80 “Detrashed” Photos That Are Both Satisfying And Depressing

People collectively produce about 57 million tons of plastic waste and litter every year. And nature is paying the price. Around 20 million metric tons of waste finds its way directly into the environment, where plants, animals and other organisms suffer the consequences.

Smokers are the biggest culprits, with cigarette butts being the single most common piece of litter on earth. Roughly 4.5 trillion (yes, TRILLION) discarded cigarette butts accumulate in streets, rivers, and oceans every year. Not only are they an eyesore, but they’re causing massive harm to animals and the environment.

One study notes that even unsmoked cellulose acetate filters can be toxic to some invertebrates and plants. But once a cigarette is smoked, the filter poses an increased chemical threat.

"Cigarettes contain over 7000 toxic chemicals," reads the study, adding that some of these are readily leached into aquatic habitats. In the ocean, the cigarette butts can be lethal for certain fish and other marine life. They can also alter their growth and feeding habits.

"On land, littered cigarette butts can contaminate crops with nicotine, and reduce growth and alter productivity of common plants," it warns.

Plastic is also a massive problem. Researchers warn that by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish (by weight) in the world’s oceans. According to the World Wildlife Fund, 1 million plastic bottles are sold every minute, but less than 50% are recycled. And that's just the bottles.

National Geographic reports that less than 10% of all plastic gets recycled globally, leaving millions of tons to crowd landfills or leak into oceans and soils each year. The United Nations Environmental Program has also warned that, if things remain as they are, plastic waste is projected to nearly triple by 2060.

The 2026 Keep America Beautiful National Litter Study reveals that litter is down 34% since 2020. But that 35 billion pieces still remain in the country's parks, waterways, and public spaces. "Coastal litter is raising new concerns," it notes.

The study found that 90% of Americans think litter is a problem. However, that isn't stopping people from contributing to it. "75% of people admit to littering within the last five years," reports the Business Waste site. "Unsurprisingly," it adds, "some of the people who litter the most are often smokers and those who eat fast food regularly."

Business Waste also notes that there’s more litter along waterways (25.9 billion pieces) than roadways (23.7 billion pieces). Often, people don't realize just how much harm they're doing to the environment. Many go about their business, none the wiser. Laundry, for example, is something many people do without a second thought.

However, the site reveals that a single laundry load can release 700,000 synthetic microfibers into our waterways. And those may later enter the ocean.

According to Business Waste, Indonesia and India are responsible for the most plastic entering the ocean. Together, they contribute more than the next seven countries combined. "The US is third in the list of countries that release plastic waste into the oceans," it adds.

And here's another horrifying stat from the site: "There are 21,000 pieces of plastic polluting our oceans for every person in the world."