The animation shows the growing burden of plastic waste in the oceans. It questions the link between increasing consumption, corporate profit, and ecological responsibility.

Plastic is not just an environmental issue but also an integral part of global economic systems. Multinational corporations such as Walmart, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and PepsiCo use large amounts of plastic packaging—especially for their own-label products. This visualization is based on publicly available data and shows a projection of plastic volumes up to 2090 under a business-as-usual scenario.

Key messages:

• 2020 wurden weltweit rund 367 Mio. Tonnen Plastik produziert, davon etwa 23 % (~86 Mio. Tonnen) gelangten in die Ozeane.
  Sources: Ellen MacArthur Foundation, NOAA, The Ocean Cleanup
• Walmart reported using around 1.2 million tons of plastic packaging in the same year.
  Source: Global Commitment Report 2021
• In early 2025, Walmart announced that it would likely not meet the goals of the US Plastics Pact.
  Sources: US Plastics Pact, GreenBiz
• Without regulatory measures, global plastic waste could total over 1,000 million tons by 2090.
  Sources: NOAA, The Ocean Cleanup
• The visualization focuses on ocean gyres in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.
  Sources: The Ocean Cleanup, NOAA

Additional information:
Walmart heiress Alice Walton is, according to Wikipedia among the twenty richest people in the world.
Alice Walton – Wikipedia

Further report:
A detailed analysis with sources, methodology, and legal context can be found in the PDF:
"Life in Plastic – Plastic Pollution, Corporate Profits & Projection to 2090"
(DE | EN)