The Plastic Crisis: Current State Of Plastic Pollution

Plastic is everywhere—from the deepest oceans to the highest mountaintops and even inside our bodies. The world produces around 350 million tons of plastic waste each year, with more than two-thirds of it coming from the Global South. Plastic production has sharply increased over the last 70 years, growing from just two million tons in 1950 to over 450 million tons today. While it has added value to our lives as a cheap and versatile material, it has also become an environmental pollutant due to mismanagement. Only 9% of plastic is recycled, with the rest accumulating in landfills or ending up as litter in natural environments, including our oceans.

Plastic production: 350-450 million tons per year

Plastic production has sharply increased over the last 70 years. In 1950, the world produced just two million tonnes. Now, estimates vary, with some sources claiming the world produces over 350 million tons of plastic per year, and others stating the amount is over 450 million tons per year. Some reports indicate that up to 50% of that plastic is for single-use purposes, used for just a few moments but remaining on the planet for at least several hundred years.

The proliferation of plastic products in recent decades has been extraordinary. Humans have become addicted to this nearly indestructible material. Plastic is cheap and incredibly versatile, with properties that make it ideal for many applications, including construction, home appliances, medical instruments, and food packaging. However, these qualities have also resulted in plastic becoming an environmental issue. We have developed a "'disposable'" lifestyle, and it is estimated that around 50% of plastic is used just once and thrown away.

When plastic waste is mismanaged, it becomes an environmental pollutant. Mismanagement refers to plastic that is not recycled, incinerated, or kept in sealed landfills. Mismanaged waste tends to be much higher in low-to-middle-income countries due to poorer waste management infrastructure. While it is estimated that around one to two million tons of plastic enter our oceans yearly, affecting wildlife and ecosystems, the fate of plastics once they enter the ocean has been something of a puzzle for researchers.

Some researchers have described this as the "missing plastic problem," as early studies produced larger figures for the amount of plastic in the ocean, and more recent research, with improved methods, has estimated lower figures. One explanation for this discrepancy is that ultraviolet light breaks down plastics very quickly. Another explanation is that only a fraction of ocean plastics are transported out to sea and buoyant on the surface, with some sinking to the seabed and most staying very close to the shoreline.

Plastic in oceans: 0.5% of waste, or 1-8 million tons per year

The world produces around 350 million tons of plastic waste each year, with some estimates reaching 450 million tons. While the amount of plastic waste that ends up in the oceans is uncertain, it is estimated that around 0.5% of this waste, or 1 to 8 million tons, enters the oceans annually.

The fate of plastics once they enter the ocean has puzzled researchers for some time. While it is often floating plastics that capture our attention, this is probably only a fraction of the plastic that enters the ocean. A study by Laurent Lebreton, Matthias Egger, and Boyan Slat found that most large plastics that enter the ocean are washed up, buried, and resurfaced along shorelines. The study found that while most plastics were less than 5 years old, some were over 15 years old, indicating that plastics can persist and accumulate in the ocean over long periods of time.

The OECD estimates that of the plastic that enters the ocean, 1.5 million tons remain close to the shoreline, 0.2 million tons sink to the seabed, and less than 0.1 million tons are transported offshore on the surface. This means that most plastic waste stays close to the shoreline.

The amount of plastic waste that enters the ocean varies across the world, depending on factors such as the location and length of river systems, proximity to coastlines, terrain, and precipitation patterns. Most plastic flowing into the ocean today comes from middle-income countries, particularly in Asia. This is because these countries tend to have poorer waste management infrastructure, with higher rates of plastic waste being mismanaged, meaning it is not recycled, incinerated, or kept in sealed landfills.

Plastic waste management: 9% recycled, 50% landfill, 1/5th mismanaged

Plastic is everywhere. It's in our appliances, our furniture, our food packaging, and even our trash bags. We produce over 380 million tons of plastic every year, and some reports indicate that up to 50% of that is for single-use purposes. So, what happens to all this plastic when we're done with it? Unfortunately, a lot of it ends up as waste.

Plastic waste management is a critical issue that needs our urgent attention. According to the OECD, only 9% of plastic waste is recycled globally. That means, out of all the plastic we produce, we only manage to recycle a tiny fraction. The recycling rate of specific types of plastic containers, like PET bottles and jars, and HDPE natural bottles, is higher, but still not high enough.

So, where does the rest of the plastic go? Well, about 50% of it ends up in landfills. Landfills are designed to contain waste, but even so, plastic can still leak out and affect the environment. Another 19% of plastic waste is incinerated, which means it is burned to reduce its volume. While incineration can be a way to generate energy, it also releases harmful gases and contributes to air pollution.

The remaining 22% of plastic waste is mismanaged. This means it is not recycled, incinerated, or properly landfilled. Mismanaged waste often ends up in uncontrolled dumpsites, where it is burned in open pits or leaks into rivers, lakes, and oceans. This plastic pollution has a devastating impact on wildlife and ecosystems. It's estimated that more than 10 million tons of plastic enter our oceans every year, and a significant amount also accumulates in rivers.

To address this pressing issue, we need to improve plastic waste management practices, especially in low- to middle-income countries, where most of the ocean plastics originate. This includes implementing better waste management infrastructure and policies, such as Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, landfill taxes, and deposit-refund systems. By properly managing our plastic waste, we can significantly reduce plastic pollution and protect our environment for future generations.

Plastic in landfills: 79% of all plastic ever made

Plastic is everywhere. It's in our appliances, our furniture, our food packaging, and even our trash bags. We produce over 350 million tons of plastic each year, and it's cheap and versatile. But with that versatility comes a cost: plastic pollution. While it's true that not all plastic ends up in landfills or the environment, a staggering amount does.

Since plastic was introduced in the 1950s, we have produced 8.3 billion metric tons of it. That's a lot of plastic. And where is it now? Well, it's estimated that 79% of all the plastic ever made is still sitting in landfills or the natural environment. That means that a huge amount of the plastic we've produced is not being recycled or incinerated but is instead piling up and impacting the very ecosystems we depend on.

The problem of plastic pollution is not just about the amount of plastic we produce but also about how it's managed. When plastic waste is not recycled, incinerated, or properly landfilled, it becomes an environmental pollutant. And this mismanagement of plastic waste tends to be much higher in low-to-middle-income countries due to poorer waste management infrastructure. As a result, most of the plastic flowing into our oceans today comes from middle-income countries, particularly in Asia.

The impact of plastic pollution is far-reaching. When plastics end up in landfills, they break down into tiny toxic particles that contaminate the soil and waterways. These particles then enter the food chain when animals accidentally ingest them, potentially leading to adverse health effects on both human and animal life. Additionally, the plastic that ends up in our oceans affects wildlife and ecosystems, with an estimated 0.5% of the world's plastic waste ending up in our oceans each year.

Plastic products: single-use, containers, packaging, durable goods, nondurable goods

Plastic products are all around us, and their use has proliferated in the last few decades. Humans have produced over 380 million tons of plastic every year since the 1950s, with some estimates claiming that more plastic has been produced in the last ten years than in the whole of the last century. Single-use plastics are a significant part of this, with up to 50% of plastic being used for just a few moments and then thrown away. This plastic ends up in landfills, where it breaks down into toxic particles that contaminate the environment and enter the food chain.

Containers and packaging make up a large portion of plastic products. In 2018, the containers and packaging category had the most plastic tonnage at over 14.5 million tons. This includes bags, sacks, wraps, bottles, jars, and other containers. Plastic beverage bottles are a significant contributor to this category, with 100.7 billion sold in the US in 2014, 57% of which were water bottles. The recycling rate of PET bottles and jars was 29.1% in 2018, while the rate for HDPE natural bottles was 29.3%.

Plastics are also used in durable goods, such as appliances, furniture, casings for lead-acid batteries, and other products. While the use of plastic in these goods is more long-term, they still contribute to the overall plastic production and waste.

Nondurable goods also contribute to plastic waste. These include disposable diapers, trash bags, cups, utensils, medical devices, and household items such as shower curtains. Plastic resins are used in a variety of nondurable goods, and these resins can be difficult to recycle. Overall, the recycling rate of plastics is relatively small, with only 8.7% of plastics recycled in 2018.

Frequently asked questions