The Plastic Crisis: Landfills And Our Future

Plastic pollution is a pressing issue, with a significant amount of plastic waste ending up in landfills each year. In 2021, it was reported that 85% of plastic waste in the United States, or approximately 34 million tons, was sent to landfills, while only 5-6% was recycled. This issue is not unique to the US, as global plastic waste generation doubled from 2000 to 2019, with a large portion ending up in landfills or the environment. The rapid acceleration of plastic manufacturing and the short lifetime of many plastic products contribute to the growing plastic waste problem. With plastic consumption quadrupling over the last 30 years, it is essential to address the management and recycling of plastic waste effectively to curb its impact on the environment.

The US: 27 million tons in 2018

In 2018, the United States generated approximately 27 million tons of plastic waste, with about 2.25 million tons ending up in landfills. This massive amount of plastic waste contributes to a larger global issue of plastic pollution, which has detrimental effects on the environment and human health.

Global plastic waste: 353 million tons in 2019

Global plastic waste generation reached 353 million tons in 2019, more than doubling from 147 million tons in 2000. This massive amount of waste is a result of the rapid acceleration of plastic manufacturing, which has increased exponentially with each passing year. The primary source of plastic generation in the United States, for example, is the American Chemistry Council, which produced 35.7 million tons of plastic in 2018.

The consequences of this waste are dire. Of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic ever produced, only about 9% has been recycled, with the vast majority—79%—accumulating in landfills or polluting the natural environment as litter. This means that in 2019, only 9% of plastic waste was recycled, while 19% was incinerated, 50% ended up in landfills, and 22% went into uncontrolled dumpsites or aquatic environments.

The low recycling rate is due in part to the contamination of loads when consumers co-mingle recyclable plastics with non-recyclable plastics. Even plastics that make it to recycling facilities may not be recycled, as 30-36% of PET bottles are wasted during the process. Furthermore, the amount of plastic waste correlates with population size, and population growth is one of the factors contributing to the increasing waste.

To address this global issue, new recycling techniques for plastics must be developed to create a circular economy where recycled materials are reused. Additionally, policies to curb plastic leakage into the environment and reduce single-use plastic items are essential. The OECD's Global Plastics Outlook emphasizes the need for better waste management infrastructure, especially in low and middle-income countries.

US recycling rate: 8.7% in 2018, 5-6% in 2021

The US recycling rate has decreased since 2018, when it was at 8.7%. In 2021, the US recycled only 5-6% of its plastic waste, according to a report by environmental groups Beyond Plastics and The Last Beach Cleanup. This means that around 85% of US plastic waste ends up in landfills, with 10% incinerated and the remaining 5-6% recycled.

The decrease in the US recycling rate can be attributed to several factors. One significant factor is the ban on foreign waste imports imposed by China in 2018, including plastic waste. This ban has highlighted the shortcomings of domestic recycling infrastructure in the US and other countries, which previously relied heavily on China for waste processing. The US has struggled to handle the backlog of recyclable materials due to a lack of resources and efficient recycling processes.

Another factor contributing to the low recycling rate is the contamination of recyclable plastics. Consumers often co-mingle recyclable and non-recyclable plastics, leading to entire loads being rejected and sent to landfills or incineration. Even at recycling facilities, a significant portion of plastic is wasted during the recycling process, with 30-36% of PET bottles reported as being wasted.

The US has seen a general increase in waste generation over the years, with each American generating an average of 4.9 pounds of waste per day in 2018, an 8% increase from 2017. This rising waste generation, coupled with a lack of efficient waste management and recycling systems, has resulted in a decline in the recycling rate.

To address this issue, experts advocate for new laws that reduce plastic packaging and promote reusable alternatives to single-use plastic items, which have a high likelihood of polluting the environment.

Plastic packaging: 40% of non-fibre plastic

Plastic packaging constitutes over 40% of non-fibre plastic. This includes bags, sacks, wraps, bottles, jars, containers, and other packaging. The containers and packaging category had the most plastic tonnage at over 14.5 million tons in 2018. The amount of plastic waste generated in a region is directly correlated with its population size. For instance, California, Texas, and Florida, the three most populous states, also have the largest amount of landfilled plastic waste.

The plastic waste generated in the United States in 2021 was 40 million tons, with only 5-6% recycled, 10% incinerated, and the rest, about 85%, sent to landfills. The rate of plastic recycling has decreased since 2018, when it was at 8.7%. The total amount of plastics combusted in MSW in 2018 was 5.6 million tons, which was 16.3% of all MSW combusted with energy recovery that year. In 2018, landfills received 27 million tons of plastic, or 18.5% of all MSW landfilled.

The amount of plastic waste in the United States is estimated to be 44 million metric tons by NREL, while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency puts the figure at 32.2 million metric tons. The amount of plastic waste correlates with population size, with California, Texas, and Florida being the top contributors. The problem of plastic waste is not just environmental but also a waste management and land use issue, as landfills are closing in many areas.

The global production of plastics from recycled materials has quadrupled from 6.8 million tons in 2000 to 29.1 million tons in 2019, but this is only 6% of total plastics production. Plastic consumption has also quadrupled in the last 30 years, driven by growth in emerging markets. The rapid acceleration of plastic manufacturing has outpaced nearly every other man-made material, with half of all plastic manufactured becoming trash in less than a year.

Plastic in oceans: 8 million tons a year

The world produces around 350 million tons of plastic waste annually, with the United States alone generating 40 million tons in 2021. Of this, only 5-6% was recycled, with the rest going to landfills (85%) or being incinerated (10%). While plastic waste ends up in landfills and the ocean, it is difficult to determine the exact amount of plastic that enters the ocean each year.

Early studies estimated that 8 million tons of plastic waste entered the ocean annually. However, more recent research suggests that the figure is lower, ranging from 1 million to 1.7 million tons per year. This discrepancy has been referred to as the "missing plastic problem," indicating that the fate of plastic waste once it enters the ocean remains a puzzle.

According to a report titled "Reckoning with the US Role in Global Ocean Plastic Waste," an estimated 8 million tons of plastic waste enter the world's oceans each year. This is equivalent to dumping a garbage truck of plastic waste into the ocean every minute. The report highlights the need for interventions across the entire plastic life cycle to reduce plastic waste in the environment, including in the ocean.

The Alaska Air National Guard has taken steps to address this issue by implementing a helicopter engine test stand, improving efficiency for HH-60G Pave Hawk maintenance and operations. Additionally, the 2020 Save Our Seas (SOS) 2.0 Act directed the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to synthesize research on marine debris and develop strategies to reduce plastic waste in the ocean.

While there is no single solution to reducing plastic waste in the ocean, various interventions can be made at different stages of plastic's journey, from manufacture to the marine ecosystem. These include reducing plastic production, innovating new materials and designs, decreasing waste generation per person, improving waste management, actively capturing waste, and minimizing at-sea disposal.

Frequently asked questions