New research indicates that the United States is the biggest contributor to plastic waste.

More than half of the plastic waste slated for recycling in the U.S. was shipped aboard to countries that already had issues processing plastic waste.

While Asian studies ranked at the top in the past, U.S. waste exports or illegal dumping within the country were not considered. In addition, the U.S. ranks third in marine plastic pollution.

Nick Mallo, one of the study's authors, called for the country to do more to address plastic pollution, which has been attributed to high income and consumption levels.

The U.S. produces the most plastic waste in total and that its citizens may rank as high as third in the world in contributing to plastic pollution in the oceans.

Read the original article here.