The World Is Drowning In Plastic Pollution

Plastic is everywhere. In just 70 years, more than 8 billion metric tons of virgin plastics have been produced worldwide. That's as heavy as a billion elephants or 25,000 Empire State Buildings. And the impact of this plastic production is staggering: it's choking our waterways, threatening wildlife, and ending up in our food. While some efforts have been made to recycle plastic, the majority is only recycled once or twice before being disposed of in landfills or through incineration. With plastic debris accumulating in our oceans and the unknown effects of plastic consumption on human health, it's clear that the scope of the plastic problem is immense and urgent action is needed.

Plastic production has increased from 2 million tonnes in 1950 to over 450 million tonnes

Plastic is a man-made material derived from crude oil. Its durability and versatility have made it a miracle material, with modern life being almost unimaginable without it. However, the sheer volume of plastic production and waste is a looming catastrophe, threatening at least 600 wildlife species and impacting the health of humans and ecosystems.

Plastic production has increased exponentially since the 1950s, when it was first manufactured at a large scale. In 1950, only 2 million tons of plastic were produced. By 2017, scientists estimated that a total of 8.3 billion metric tons of virgin plastics had been produced worldwide since 1950. This is equivalent to the weight of a billion elephants or 25,000 Empire State Buildings. To put it in perspective, if all this plastic was spread out ankle-deep, it could cover an area the size of Argentina, the eighth-largest country in the world.

The rate of plastic production has been accelerating rapidly in recent years, with virtually half of all plastic ever manufactured being produced in the past 15 years. Currently, more than 448 million tons of plastic are produced annually, and this number is expected to grow. More than 40% of plastic is used just once, and it is choking our waterways and oceans. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located in the Central North Pacific Ocean, is a gyre of marine litter stretching for hundreds of miles from the California coast to Japan and Hawaii. It is just one example of the impact of plastic waste on our oceans.

The plastic waste crisis is a complex issue. While recycling is often touted as a solution, it is not a cure-all. Less than a fifth of all plastic is recycled globally, and in the US, it is less than 10%. Recycled plastic often becomes downcycled, meaning it is turned into products of lower quality that are eventually disposed of in landfills or through incineration. Additionally, the costs of sorting and reprocessing recycled plastic mean that only a fraction of the material value is retained for further use. While there have been promising developments in chemically recycled plastic with infinite recyclability, these methods are currently expensive and energy-intensive.

50% of plastic is used for single-use purposes

Humans have produced an astonishing amount of plastic since the 1950s, when plastic was first manufactured on a large scale. The total amount of plastic produced is estimated at 8.3 billion metric tons, enough to cover an area the size of Argentina ankle-deep. This is particularly concerning given that plastic takes several hundred years to decompose.

The production of plastic has been increasing rapidly, with over 380 million tons of plastic produced annually. This is significantly more than the total amount produced in the previous century. The proliferation of plastic products has been extraordinary, with plastic finding its way into a wide range of applications due to its versatility and low cost.

However, this has also led to an environmental crisis, as plastic consumption has far outpaced scientific study into its impacts. Plastic waste is now recognized as a major global issue, with plastic threatening at least 600 wildlife species and potentially entering the human food chain through seafood.

A significant contributor to this crisis is the prevalence of single-use plastic. Up to 50% of plastic is used just once and then discarded, including items such as disposable diapers, trash bags, cups, utensils, and packaging. This "disposable" lifestyle has severe environmental consequences, with an estimated 10 million tons of plastic ending up in our oceans each year.

To address this issue, there is a growing focus on preventing plastic pollution and promoting sustainable alternatives. Initiatives such as the EPA's "National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution" aim to reduce the release of plastic into the environment and encourage recycling and the use of reusable items. By taking action to reduce single-use plastic consumption, we can help mitigate the environmental impact of this ubiquitous material.

9% of plastic waste is recycled

Plastic has been mass-produced for the last six decades, and in this time, humans have produced 8.3 billion metric tons of virgin plastics worldwide. To put that into perspective, that's the weight of around a billion elephants or 25,000 Empire State Buildings. If you spread that amount of plastic out ankle-deep, it could cover Argentina, the world's eighth-largest country.

The majority of this plastic has been produced in the last decade, and half of all plastic manufactured becomes trash within a year. Plastic production has been increasing rapidly, doubling roughly every 15 years, and this acceleration has outpaced nearly every other man-made material.

Despite the huge amount of plastic produced, only 9% of plastic waste has been recycled. The vast majority—79%—is accumulating in landfills or is littering the natural environment. The prediction that by the middle of this century, there will be more plastic waste than fish in the oceans has become a rallying cry for action on plastic pollution.

The United States ranks behind Europe (30%) and China (25%) in recycling rates, with its rate stuck at 9% since 2012.

500 billion plastic bags are used annually

Plastic consumption has far outpaced scientific research into the material and its impacts. Humans have produced more plastic in the last ten years than during the whole of the last century, with over 380 million tons of plastic being produced annually. Since the 1950s, when plastic was first manufactured at a large scale, 8.3 billion metric tons of virgin plastics have been produced worldwide. This is only expected to increase, with the fossil fuel industry planning to increase plastic production by 40% over the next decade.

Plastic bags are a major contributor to this issue. In 2015, about 730,000 tons of plastic bags were generated in the United States alone, with more than 87% of those items never being recycled. Instead, they end up in landfills and the ocean, where they can have deadly consequences for wildlife. Sea turtles, for example, often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, and it is estimated that 34% of dead leatherback sea turtles have ingested plastics. Birds also mistake shredded plastic bags for food, filling their stomachs with toxic debris.

The average plastic bag has a working life of just 15 minutes, yet it takes 1,000 years for one to degrade in a landfill. Americans use an average of 365 plastic bags per person per year, while people in Denmark use an average of four. This amounts to 500 billion plastic bags used annually and contributes to the ever-growing plastic pollution crisis.

To address this crisis, individuals can practice waste prevention and choose to reuse whenever possible, such as by bringing reusable bags when shopping. Additionally, legislation and regulations targeting plastic pollution and the companies responsible for it are crucial. As of July 2018, 127 countries have adopted some form of legislation to regulate plastic bags.

10 million tons of plastic is dumped into oceans every year

Plastic has been a part of human life for several decades now, and its consumption has far outpaced the scientific study of the material and its impacts. Humans have produced an estimated 8 billion metric tons of virgin plastics in just 70 years, with some reports suggesting the number is closer to 8.3 billion metric tons. Over the last ten years, more plastic has been produced than during the entire last century, and plastic production is expected to double in the next decade.

The impact of this plastic production is felt most acutely in our oceans. It is estimated that more than 10 million tons of plastic are dumped into our oceans every year, with some sources stating the number is closer to 8 million metric tons. This has resulted in plastic threatening at least 600 different wildlife species. Videos have emerged of sea turtles with plastic straws embedded in their noses and whales entangled in fishing nets.

The future of plastics in our ocean will be determined by how we handle plastics on land. We need to reduce the volume of plastics produced and used, while also holding plastic producers responsible for the harmful waste they generate. One way to do this is by supporting the development of fundamental waste collection and management in countries with rapidly growing economies and increasing use of disposable plastic. This can prevent plastic from entering the ocean and also provide economic and job growth, make us healthier, and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.

We must confront the challenge of plastic pollution before it is too late. With plastic production expected to double in the next ten years, the clock is ticking.

Frequently asked questions