The Dark Truth Of Unrecycled Plastics

Plastic pollution is a pressing issue, with only nine per cent of plastic ever made having been recycled. The vast majority of plastic is accumulating in landfills or sloughing off in the natural environment as litter, with much of it ending up in the oceans.

The US recycles 9% of plastic waste

Only nine per cent of plastic waste is recycled in the US. This figure has remained the same since 2012.

The US lags behind Europe (30 per cent) and China (25 per cent) in recycling rates.

The first global analysis of all plastics ever made and their fate found that of the 8.3 billion metric tons produced, 6.3 billion metric tons has become plastic waste. Of that, only nine per cent has been recycled. The vast majority (79 per cent) is accumulating in landfills or sloughing off in the natural environment as litter. If present trends continue, by 2050, there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic in landfills.

The UK's Royal Statistical Society named the fact that only 9% of plastic is recycled its statistic of the year in 2018

In December 2018, the UK's Royal Statistical Society named the fact that only 9% of plastic is recycled its statistic of the year. This figure comes from the first global analysis of all plastics ever made and their fate. Of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic that has been produced, 6.3 billion metric tons has become plastic waste. Of that, only 9% has been recycled. The vast majority (79%) is accumulating in landfills or sloughing off in the natural environment as litter. If present trends continue, by 2050, there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic in landfills. That amount is 35,000 times as heavy as the Empire State Building.

The mass production of plastics, which began just six decades ago, has accelerated so rapidly that it has created 8.3 billion metric tons—most of it in disposable products that end up as trash. This means that billions of tons of plastic have been made over the past decades, and much of it is becoming litter. In the US, recycling has remained at 9% since 2012.

The UK's Royal Statistical Society recognised the severity of the situation, and the need to address the issue of plastic waste. The statistic highlights the importance of considering the trade-off between convenience and a clean, healthy environment. It also raises questions about the use of different materials or phasing out certain products that are particularly harmful to the environment.

The recognition of this statistic by the Royal Statistical Society brought attention to the global issue of plastic waste and the need for more effective recycling practices. It is clear that the current rate of plastic recycling is not sufficient to address the growing problem of plastic pollution. With the majority of plastic ending up in landfills and the natural environment, there is an urgent need to reduce plastic waste and improve recycling rates.

79% of plastic waste accumulates in landfills or becomes litter

Of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic that has been produced, 6.3 billion metric tons has become plastic waste. Only nine per cent of plastic has been recycled, with the vast majority (79%) accumulating in landfills or sloughing off in the natural environment as litter. This means that at some point, much of it ends up in the oceans. If present trends continue, by 2050, there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic in landfills. That amount is 35,000 times as heavy as the Empire State Building.

The United States ranks behind Europe (30%) and China (25%) in recycling. In the US, recycling has remained at nine per cent since 2012.

Billions of tons of plastic have been made over the past decades, and much of it is becoming trash and litter. Mass production of plastics, which began just six decades ago, has accelerated so rapidly that it has created 8.3 billion metric tons—most of it in disposable products that end up as trash.

The first global analysis of all plastics ever made and their fate was published in the peer-reviewed journal *Science Advances*.

If present trends continue, there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic in landfills by 2050

Only nine per cent of plastic is recycled, with the vast majority (79 per cent) accumulating in landfills or sloughing off in the natural environment as litter. If present trends continue, there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic in landfills by 2050. That's 35,000 times as heavy as the Empire State Building.

Billions of tons of plastic have been made over the past decades, and much of it is becoming trash and litter. Mass production of plastics, which began just six decades ago, has accelerated so rapidly that it has created 8.3 billion metric tons—most of it in disposable products that end up as trash.

The United States ranks behind Europe (30 per cent) and China (25 per cent) in recycling, with recycling in the US remaining at nine per cent since 2012.

"We as a society need to consider whether it’s worth trading off some convenience for a clean, healthy environment," said Geyer. "For some products that are very problematic in the environment, maybe we think about using different materials. Or phasing them out."

China recycles 25% of plastic waste

According to a study published in the peer-reviewed journal *Science Advances*, 91% of plastic isn't recycled. Of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic that has been produced, 6.3 billion metric tons has become plastic waste. Only 9% has been recycled, with the vast majority (79%) accumulating in landfills or sloughing off in the natural environment as litter.

China has made a significant contribution to the battle against climate change by reducing crude oil consumption and preventing millions of metric tons in carbon emissions through its plastic recycling efforts. China's rate of plastic recycling was about 1.7 times the global average last year. China recycled 31% of plastic waste generated in the country in 2021, and from 1992 to 2018, it recycled 106 million tons of imported plastic waste, much of it from the European Union and the United States. China's huge plastic recycling industry, which employs around 900,000 people, has established a market-based plastic recycling system with wide-ranging coverage, which accounts for 45% of the world's plastic recycling. From 2011 to 2020, China recycled 170 million tons of plastic waste.

Beijing, a developing city of at least 20 million, recycles more than most, in large part because it's home to millions of migrant labourers, many tens of thousands of whom make a living by buying and sorting the value from what their upwardly mobile neighbours throw away. However, like all other nations, China cannot recycle, burn, or bury away its plastic waste problem. To help reduce food packaging waste, China needs to better enforce bans and add reusable models into the regulatory toolbox.

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