The High Cost Of Removing Plastic From Our Environment

Plastic pollution is a huge menace to society, and the costs of removing it are high. The lifetime cost to society, the environment and the economy of plastic produced in 2019 alone was US$3.7 trillion. It costs more than US $32 billion a year to collect, sort, dispose of and recycle the huge quantities of plastic waste generated. The cost of removing plastic from waterbodies is 10 to several hundred times higher than when the treatment is done as part of a solid waste management plan.

The cost of removing plastic from waterbodies

The cost of removing plastic litter from waterbodies can vary depending on the amount of litter and the location. For example, in March 2019, a clean-up operation on Aldabra Atoll, a remote UNESCO World Heritage Site, removed 25 tonnes of plastic litter at a cost of $224,537, which equates to around $10,000 per day of clean-up operations or $8,900 per tonne of litter. It is estimated that removing the remaining 513 tonnes of plastic litter from the island will cost approximately $4.68 million and require 18,000 person-hours of labour.

The cost of plastic pollution extends beyond the immediate financial costs of clean-up operations. Plastic pollution can create huge economic costs in the form of gross domestic product (GDP) reductions, driven by losses in revenue from tourism, fishing, aquaculture, and other industries. For example, a report by Dalberg commissioned by WWF revealed that the lifetime cost to society, the environment, and the economy of plastic produced in 2019 alone was US$3.7 trillion, more than the GDP of India. This cost is set to double for the plastic produced in 2040 unless action is taken.

Additionally, the annual cost of waste management for plastic waste is significant, with governments, NGOs, and concerned citizens incurring costs as high as US$15 billion per year for clean-up activities.

The cost of plastic waste management

The costs of plastic waste management are multifaceted. Firstly, there are the direct costs of waste management, which include collecting, sorting, disposing of, and recycling plastic waste. These activities cost more than US$32 billion annually, with governments, NGOs, and citizens incurring significant costs for clean-up operations. For example, the removal of 25 tonnes of plastic litter from Aldabra Atoll, a remote UNESCO World Heritage Site, cost $224,537, or approximately $8,900 per tonne of litter.

Secondly, plastic pollution imposes indirect costs on society and the economy. Marine plastic pollution, in particular, can lead to GDP reductions due to losses in revenue from tourism, fishing, and aquaculture. It is estimated that marine plastic pollution cost up to US$7 billion in 2018 alone.

Additionally, the costs of removing plastic waste from water bodies are significantly higher than when the treatment is done as part of a solid waste management plan. Elimination of plastics from water bodies can be very expensive, with costs ranging from 10 to several hundred times higher than solid waste management options.

Finally, there are the opportunity costs associated with plastic waste management. For example, the slightly higher cost of producing glass bottles over plastic ones (about $0.01 more) is negligible compared to the environmental costs of plastic pollution.

The economic costs of marine plastic pollution

The costs of waste management are also substantial, with more than US $32 billion spent each year on collecting, sorting, disposing of and recycling plastic waste. Governments, NGOs and citizens also incur significant costs from undertaking clean-up activities, with estimates as high as US$15 billion per year.

The economic impact of plastic pollution extends beyond waste management. Marine plastic pollution can result in gross domestic product (GDP) reductions, with losses in revenue from tourism, fishing, aquaculture and other industries. In 2018, these losses were estimated at up to US$7 billion. A report by Dalberg, commissioned by WWF, found that the lifetime cost to society, the environment and the economy of plastic produced in 2019 alone was US$3.7 trillion – more than the GDP of India. This cost is set to double for the plastic produced in 2040 if no action is taken.

The cost of eliminating plastics from water bodies is very expensive, often 10 to several hundred times higher than when the treatment is done as part of a solid waste management plan. However, there are more affordable treatment solutions, such as trash racks and sea bins.

The lifetime cost of plastic to society

The cost of plastic waste management is increasing every year. It costs more than US$32 billion to collect, sort, dispose of and recycle the huge quantities of plastic waste generated. Governments, NGOs and concerned citizens incur significant costs from undertaking clean-up activities to remove the waste, as high as US$15 billion per year.

The cost of removing plastic from water bodies is very expensive. The cost of removal is 10 to several hundred times higher than when the treatment is done as part of a solid waste management plan. For example, in 2019, a clean-up operation on Aldabra Atoll, a remote UNESCO World Heritage Site, removed 25 tonnes of plastic litter at a cost of $224,537, which equates to around $10,000 per day of clean-up operations or $8,900 per tonne of litter.

The cost of plastic pollution is also felt in the form of GDP reductions, estimated at up to US$7 billion for 2018 alone. This is driven by the loss of revenue from tourism, fishing, aquaculture and other industries.

The cost of producing plastic bottles

The lifetime cost to society, the environment and the economy of plastic produced in 2019 alone was US$3.7 trillion – more than the GDP of India. Unless action is taken, this cost is set to double for the plastic produced in 2040. Humanity now produces more than 200 million tonnes of plastic waste annually.

The costs of removing plastic waste are also high. In March 2019, a clean-up operation on Aldabra Atoll, a remote UNESCO World Heritage Site, removed 25 tonnes of plastic litter at a cost of $224,537, which equates to around $10,000 per day of clean-up operations or $8,900 per tonne of litter. It is estimated that removing the remaining 513 tonnes of plastic on the island will cost approximately $4.68 million and require 18,000 person-hours of labour.

Plastic pollution also incurs increased costs of waste management – every year it costs more than US $32 billion to collect, sort, dispose of and recycle the huge quantities of plastic waste generated. Governments, NGOs and concerned citizens incur significant costs from undertaking clean-up activities to remove the waste, as high as US$15 billion per year. Marine plastic pollution can create huge economic costs in the form of gross domestic product (GDP) reductions, estimated at up to US$7 billion for 2018 alone, driven by the loss in revenue from tourism, fishing, aquaculture and other industries.

Frequently asked questions