Omar Khalid
Plastic pollution is a pressing environmental issue. An estimated 20 million metric tons of plastic litter end up in the environment every year, and this amount is expected to increase significantly by 2040. Plastic does not biodegrade and can take up to 1,000 years to break down, so it accumulates in the environment, affecting all land, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Plastic pollution is a major driver of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, and it also contributes to the climate crisis.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Amount of plastic produced every year | Over 460 million metric tons |
| Amount of plastic litter in the environment every year | 20 million metric tons |
| Expected increase in plastic litter by 2040 | Significant |
| Ecosystems affected by plastic pollution | Land, freshwater, marine |
| Impact on biodiversity | Major driver of biodiversity loss |
| Impact on ecosystems | Degradation |
| Impact on climate change | Contributes to climate change |
| Impact on human health | Severe short and long-term health effects |
| Impact on water | Contaminates all sources of water |
| Impact on food | Contaminates all types of food |
| Impact on pregnant people | Found in placentas |
What You'll Learn
Plastic pollution affects all ecosystems
Plastic pollution is a major driver of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. It chokes marine wildlife, damages soil, and poisons groundwater. It also contributes to the climate crisis. The production of plastic is one of the most energy-intensive manufacturing processes in the world, and in 2019, plastics generated 1.8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 3.4% of the global total.
The vast majority of plastic waste enters the environment through landfill or marine and terrestrial litter, and a smaller percentage is incinerated (12%). All methods result in the release of toxic metals, organic substances, acid gases, and other toxic substances into the air, water, and soil. Some of the toxins released by plastics, such as dioxins and furans, are among the most toxic substances on Earth. The inhalation of contaminated air, direct contact with contaminated soil or water, and ingestion of foods grown in a polluted environment can lead to severe short- and long-term health effects, particularly for workers and fenceline communities.
As plastic pollution is a transboundary issue, a global plastics treaty is needed to reduce plastic production, phase out harmful subsidies, eliminate products and chemicals of concern, and adopt strong national plans and rigorous reporting and compliance mechanisms.
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Plastic is a major driver of biodiversity loss
Plastic pollution affects all land, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. It is a synthetic, organic polymer made from fossil fuels, such as gas, petroleum, and crude oil. The production of plastic is one of the most energy-intensive manufacturing processes in the world, and in 2019, plastics generated 1.8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the climate crisis.
The vast majority of plastic waste enters the environment through landfill or marine and terrestrial litter, and a smaller percentage is incinerated (12%). All methods result in the release of toxic metals, organic substances, acid gases, and other toxic substances into the air, water, and soil. Some of the toxins released by plastics, such as dioxins and furans, are among the most toxic substances on Earth.
As plastic pollution is a transboundary issue, a global plastics treaty is needed to reduce plastic production, phase out harmful subsidies, eliminate products and chemicals of concern, and adopt strong national plans and rigorous reporting and compliance mechanisms.
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Plastic contributes to climate change
The vast majority of plastic waste enters the environment via landfill or marine and terrestrial litter, and a smaller percentage is incinerated (12%). All methods result in the release of toxic metals, organic substances, acid gases, and other toxic substances into the air, water, and soil. Some of the toxins released by plastics are some of the most toxic substances on earth, including dioxins and furans. The inhalation of contaminated air, direct contact with contaminated soil or water, and ingestion of foods grown in an environment polluted with these substances lead to short and long-term severe health effects, in particular for workers and fenceline communities.
Research now shows that microplastics (pieces of plastic less than five millimetres long) and nanoplastics (pieces smaller than one millimetre) have penetrated every system. All sources of water, types of food, placentas of pregnant people, and human stool ever tested were found to contain micro or nanoplastics.
As plastic pollution is a transboundary issue, a global plastics treaty is needed to ambitiously reduce plastic production, phase out harmful subsidies, eliminate products and chemicals of concern, and adopt strong national plans and rigorous reporting and compliance mechanisms.
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Plastic waste enters the environment via landfill or marine and terrestrial litter
Plastics do not break down in the environment, forcing them to accumulate in air, waterways, agricultural soils, rivers, and oceans. Research shows that microplastics (pieces of plastic less than five millimeters long) and nanoplastics (pieces smaller than 1mm) have penetrated every system. All sources of water, types of food, placentas of pregnant people, and human stool ever tested were found to contain micro or nanoplastics.
The production of plastic is one of the most energy-intensive manufacturing processes in the world. In 2019, plastics generated 1.8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, contributing 3.4% of the global total. Plastic is made from fossil fuels such as gas, petroleum, and crude oil, which are transformed via heat and other additives into a polymer.
The vast majority of plastic waste enters the environment through landfill or littering, and a smaller percentage is incinerated (12%). All methods result in the release of toxic metals, organic substances, acid gases, and other toxic substances into the air, water, and soil. Some of the toxins released by plastics are some of the most toxic substances on earth, including dioxins and furans. The inhalation of contaminated air, direct contact with contaminated soil or water, and ingestion of foods grown in a polluted environment can lead to severe short and long-term health effects, particularly for workers and fenceline communities.
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Plastic does not biodegrade
Research shows that microplastics (pieces of plastic less than five millimetres long) and nanoplastics (pieces smaller than one millimetre) have penetrated every system. All sources of water, types of food, placentas of pregnant people, and human stool ever tested were found to contain micro or nanoplastics.
The vast majority of plastic waste enters the environment via landfill or marine and terrestrial litter. A smaller percentage is incinerated (12%). All methods result in the release of toxic metals, organic substances, acid gases, and other toxic substances into the air, water, and soil. Some of the toxins released by plastics are some of the most toxic substances on earth (dioxins and furans).
The production of plastic is one of the most energy-intensive manufacturing processes in the world. In 2019, plastics generated 1.8 billion metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions – 3.4 per cent of the global total. As plastic pollution is a transboundary issue, a global plastics treaty is needed to reduce plastic production, phase out harmful subsidies, eliminate products and chemicals of concern, and adopt strong national plans and rigorous reporting and compliance mechanisms.
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Frequently asked questions
An estimated 20 million metric tons of plastic litter end up in the environment every year.
Plastic pollution affects all land, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. It is a major driver of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation and contributes to climate change. Plastic does not biodegrade and can take up to 1,000 years to break down, so it builds up in the environment. It chokes marine wildlife, damages soil and poisons groundwater, and can cause serious health impacts.
The vast majority of plastic waste enters the environment via landfill or marine and terrestrial litter. A smaller percentage is incinerated (12%). All methods result in the release of toxic metals, organic substances, acid gases, and other toxic substances into the air, water, and soil.
As plastic pollution is a transboundary issue, a global plastics treaty is needed to reduce plastic production, phase out harmful subsidies, eliminate products and chemicals of concern, and adopt strong national plans and rigorous reporting and compliance mechanisms.
