The Plastic Problem: How Much Is Too Much?

Plastic pollution is a pressing environmental issue. The world produces around 350 million tonnes of plastic waste each year, with around 0.5% of this ending up in the oceans. Early studies estimated that this figure could be as high as 8 million tonnes per year, but more recent research suggests it is between 1 million and 1.7 million tonnes. In addition to the plastic waste that ends up in the oceans, significant amounts also accumulate in rivers, lakes, and coastlines, with devastating impacts on marine life and ecosystems. Over the last ten years, we have produced more plastic than during the entire last century, and the management and disposal of this waste are critical to reducing its environmental impact.

How much plastic waste ends up in the ocean?

It is estimated that between 0.5% and 1.7 million tonnes of the world's plastic waste ends up in the ocean each year. This figure is uncertain, with early studies producing larger estimates of around 8 million tonnes per year. More recent research, with improved methods, estimates the figure to be between 1 million and 1.7 million tonnes.

The fate of plastics once they enter the ocean has puzzled researchers. While at least 1 million tonnes of plastic enters the ocean each year, the amount of plastic floating on the surface is significantly less.

The majority of plastic pollution in the ocean is caused by littering. We buy or use disposable plastic items (such as food wrappings, plastic bags, razors, and bottles) and do not dispose of them properly, causing them to end up in waterways and eventually in the ocean. However, not all plastic waste in the ocean is a result of littering. Many plastics and microplastics are the product of improper manufacturing processes, and about 20% of the ocean's plastic pollution comes from industrial fishing.

Plastic waste makes up 80% of all marine pollution, with more than 5 trillion plastic pieces weighing over 250,000 tons afloat at sea.

How much plastic waste is mismanaged or littered?

Nearly one-quarter of the world’s plastic waste is mismanaged or littered. This amounts to around 82 million tonnes of plastic waste. This means it is not recycled, incinerated, or stored in secure landfills. One-quarter of this, 19 million tonnes, is leaked into the environment. 13 million tonnes are leaked into terrestrial environments, and 6 million tonnes are leaked into rivers or coastlines. 1.7 million tonnes of this then makes its way into the ocean.

A fifth of the world's plastic waste is either burned or littered. Patchy garbage collection services result in more than 50 million tonnes of unmanaged plastic waste each year. The majority of this is incinerated, with the remaining 43% left to litter the environment. Around 1.5 billion people around the world do not have access to garbage collection services, and how they dispose of their plastic waste has become a serious environmental problem. Most of these households resort to burning their plastic waste or dumping it in the environment.

The probability that mismanaged plastic waste enters the ocean varies a lot across the world, depending on factors such as the location and length of river systems, proximity to coastlines, terrain, and precipitation patterns. While we might think that much of the world’s plastic waste is recycled, only 9% is. Half of the world’s plastic still goes straight to landfill. Another fifth is mismanaged, putting it at risk of being leaked into rivers, lakes, and the ocean.

How much plastic waste is stored in secure landfills?

It is difficult to say exactly how much plastic waste is stored in secure landfills. However, it is estimated that 79% of the 6.3 billion metric tons of plastic waste that has been produced is accumulating in landfills. This means that around 4.977 billion metric tons of plastic waste is currently stored in landfills.

The density of plastic waste in landfills is around 0.52 tonnes per cubic metre (m3). This means that we need a volume of 1.9 m3 to store one tonne of plastic. If we were to bury plastics 30 metres below the ground, we would need a landfill site that is 150 metres deep, such as Puente Hills in the United States.

After 24 years of landfilling, plastic wastes accounted for 10.62 ± 5.12% of the total stored wastes in an old landfill. Of these plastic wastes, 69.13% were plastic bags, 11.34% were white PE plastic bags, 29.77% were coloured PE plastic bags, 28.02% were other plastic bags, and 30.87% were other plastics, including PP, PVC, and PS.

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

How much plastic is recycled?

It is difficult to find accurate information on how much plastic is recycled. However, according to the OECD, scientists believe that only 9% of the world's plastic is recycled. The remaining 91% of plastic waste is discarded, ending up in incineration, landfill, or polluting the environment.

The low recycling rate is due to several factors. Firstly, recycling plastic is more expensive than throwing it away. The cost of sorting and recycling one ton of curbside recycling can be up to $120, while disposing of waste in a landfill in the US costs around $60 per ton. Secondly, recycling requires robust sorting systems that separate materials before they can be recycled. Thirdly, oil companies and plastic manufacturers may greenwash their products by overstating their recyclable properties. Finally, while most plastics are theoretically recyclable, the complex nature of the recycling process means that only a small percentage of plastics are actually recycled.

How much plastic is used worldwide each year?

The world produces between 350 and 450 million tonnes of plastic waste every year. This figure is projected to double by 2034 and triple by 2060. If new measures and policies are introduced, such as increased taxes on plastic use and a vastly improved global recycling system, this figure could drop to less than 700 million metric tons by 2060.

Up to 50% of the plastic produced is single-use, and only 9% has ever been recycled. More than 10 million tons of plastic are dumped into our oceans every year, with around 10% of plastic bags ending up in the sea. The US is responsible for around 327 billion bags that end up in the ocean.

Plastic packaging is the biggest culprit, resulting in 80 million tonnes of waste yearly from the US alone. Over 2 million tonnes of plastic packaging are used in the UK each year. Britain contributes an estimated 1.7 million tonnes of plastic annually.

Plastic is a cheap, versatile, and sterile material used in various applications, including construction, home appliances, medical instruments, and food packaging. However, when plastic waste is mismanaged, it becomes an environmental pollutant.

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