Ethan Clarke
Plastic is everywhere, and it's cheap to make and profitable. Humans have created around 11 billion metric tons of plastic to date, and plastic production shows no signs of slowing down, with about 430 million tons of plastic produced yearly according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Despite growing awareness of the negative environmental impact of plastic, recycling rates have largely plateaued, and existing practices are falling short. The recycling system is deeply flawed, and only a small percentage of plastic is recycled each year. So, how much plastic is recycled per year, and what is the impact of our throwaway culture on the planet?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total amount of plastic recycled per year | 3 million tons (in the US in 2018) |
| Recycling rate of plastic | 8.7% (in the US in 2018); 5% (in the US in 2021) |
| Recycling rate of PET bottles and jars | 29.1% (in the US in 2018) |
| Recycling rate of HDPE natural bottles | 29.3% (in the US in 2018) |
| Amount of plastic combusted in MSW | 5.6 million tons (in the US in 2018) |
| Amount of plastic received by landfills | 27 million tons (in the US in 2018) |
| Amount of plastic packaging produced per year | 3 million tons (by Coca-Cola in 2017); 141 million tons (globally in 2023) |
| Amount of plastic produced per year | 430 million tons |
| Percentage of single-use plastic made from fossil fuels | 98% |
| Contribution of plastic manufacturing to global emissions | 3.4% (1.8 billion tons of greenhouse gases) |
| Amount of plastic waste incinerated, landfilled, or mismanaged | 91% |
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What You'll Learn
- Plastic recycling rates are low, with the US at 5-8.7%
- Plastic production is increasing, with 430 million tons produced yearly
- % of single-use plastic is made from fossil fuels
- Plastic recycling is costly and often not economically viable
- Plastic waste is disposed of by incineration, landfill, or mismanagement
Plastic recycling rates are low, with the US at 5-8.7%
Plastic recycling rates are notoriously low, with the US only managing to recycle 5-8.7% of its plastic waste. This is a significant issue, as plastic is everywhere and is shockingly profitable to produce. Humans have created around 11 billion metric tons of plastic to date, and plastic waste is a growing problem.
In 2021, the US recycled just 5% of its plastic waste, according to a report by the nonprofit Last Beach Cleanup and Beyond Plastics. This is a decrease from 2018, when the recycling rate was 8.7%. The drop in the recycling rate can be attributed to several factors, including the US's inability to offload its plastic trash to other countries, particularly China, which banned most waste imports in 2018.
The issue of plastic waste is not unique to the US. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), about 430 million tons of plastic are produced yearly, and it is a rapidly growing segment of municipal solid waste (MSW). In 2018, containers and packaging accounted for over 14.5 million tons of plastic in the US, including bags, sacks, wraps, bottles, and jars.
The low recycling rates for plastic are concerning, especially considering that plastic does not chemically degrade. Instead, it breaks apart into microplastics, which have been found in oceans, snow, rainfall, the air, and even human blood and breast milk. The average person consumes about five grams of plastic every week, mostly from water, as 95% of tap water in the US is contaminated.
To address the plastic pollution crisis, over 170 nations backed a historic UN resolution in March 2022, aiming for an international legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution by 2024. The focus should be on switching to systems of reuse and refill, rather than relying solely on recycling, as most plastic is not recyclable in practice.
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Plastic production is increasing, with 430 million tons produced yearly
Plastic is everywhere, and it is cheap to make and profitable. Plastic production has sharply increased over the last 70 years. In 1950, the world produced just two million tons. It now produces over 400 million tons, with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reporting a figure of 430 million tons, and other sources giving estimates of 440 million tons, 450 million tons, and 460 million tons. China alone accounted for 32% of global production in 2022, with North America in second place, producing 17% of the world's plastic in the same year.
The production of plastic requires four basic steps: the acquisition of raw material, the synthesis of a basic polymer, the compounding of the polymer into a usable fraction, and finally, the molding or shaping of the plastic. One of the main applications of plastic is packaging, with the containers and packaging category having the most plastic tonnage at over 14.5 million tons in 2018. Coca-Cola, for example, produced 3 million tons of plastic packaging in 2017, or the equivalent of 200,000 bottles per minute.
The world produces around 350 million tons of plastic waste each year, with one to two million tons of plastic entering our oceans annually. This plastic waste affects wildlife and ecosystems. The United Nations has said that "our planet is choking in plastic," and it is true that plastic can be found everywhere, from the ocean depths to mountaintops and even in the human body. A paper estimated that the average person consumes five grams of plastic every week, mostly from water, as about 95% of tap water in the United States is contaminated.
The scale of the problem is hard to internalize, but it is a solvable one. While it is important to reduce plastic production, it is even more important to improve the management of plastic waste. Richer countries tend to produce the most plastic waste per person, but it is the mismanagement of waste in low-to-middle-income countries that is the most critical factor in plastic pollution. Most of the ocean plastics come from poorer countries, and it is in these countries that policies to improve waste management infrastructure will be crucial.
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98% of single-use plastic is made from fossil fuels
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), 98% of single-use plastics are made from fossil fuels. This means that the vast majority of monomers used to make plastics, such as ethylene and propylene, are derived from fossil hydrocarbons. The problem is that none of the commonly used plastics are biodegradable. As a result, microplastics are formed as plastics break down into smaller pieces, polluting terrestrial and marine ecosystems and causing severe environmental and health issues.
The plastic manufacturing industry is heavily reliant on fossil fuels, with plastic production currently accounting for 12% of global oil consumption. This figure is expected to increase as plastic consumption rises. Fossil fuel corporations have a financial incentive to continue producing plastics, despite the well-known detrimental effects of fossil fuels on the environment.
The lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from single-use plastics in 2021 were equivalent to the total emissions of the United Kingdom for that year. This highlights the significant impact of the single-use plastic industry on climate change.
To address this issue, society needs to shift its mindset regarding plastics and reduce its reliance on single-use plastic products. Initiatives like Plastic Free July aim to reduce waste by encouraging people to avoid single-use plastics, such as bottled drinks and pre-packaged produce, and to opt for reusable alternatives.
While recycling can help manage plastic waste, it is not growing fast enough to keep up with the demand for single-use plastics. Only about 9% of plastics worldwide have been recycled, with 79% ending up in landfills and 12% incinerated. To protect the environment and reduce the harmful impacts of plastic waste, it is crucial to prioritize waste reduction and advocate for more sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics.
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Plastic recycling is costly and often not economically viable
Plastic recycling is a complex and costly process that often poses economic challenges. While it is essential to address the vast plastic waste problem, the economic viability of recycling plastic is questionable due to various factors.
Firstly, the cost of producing plastics is linked to the price of petroleum and natural gas, which are constantly rising. This dynamic makes recycling plastic more expensive than manufacturing new plastic, known as "virgin plastic." The high cost of raw materials for virgin plastic is a significant factor, with companies like Coca-Cola rethinking their use of expensive virgin plastic resin due to rising prices.
Secondly, recycling plastic involves a lengthy and intricate process. Once a plastic bottle is placed in the recycle bin, it goes through multiple stages, including collection, inspection for contaminants, washing, chopping into flakes, drying, melting, filtering, forming strands, cooling, and finally chopping into pellets for reuse. This complex journey incurs various operational costs, contributing to the overall expense of plastic recycling.
Additionally, the recycling process for plastic faces economic challenges due to the low value of scrap material and the high costs associated with it. The global restructuring of the scrap market has negatively impacted plastic recycling, making it less financially attractive. Moreover, plastic, even the highly recyclable types like PETE (#1) and HDPE (#2), degrades in quality over time, limiting its processing life to just two to three cycles before becoming unusable. This degradation factor further diminishes the economic viability of plastic recycling.
The economic challenges of plastic recycling are also influenced by geographical factors. The cost of recycling a bottle can vary depending on its location and the fluctuating price of oil. Certain areas, such as densely populated regions like the East Coast of the United States, face higher landfill tipping fees, which are tariffs levied to cover the costs of creating, maintaining, and closing landfills. These fees can range from $10 a ton to over $100, impacting the overall economics of plastic recycling.
While plastic recycling faces economic hurdles, it is important to consider the broader benefits beyond financial profit. Recycling has significant positive impacts on the environment and social responsibility. Additionally, the growing global demand for high-quality recyclable materials and advancements in technology and infrastructure are expected to drive down recycling costs in the future, potentially making plastic recycling more economically viable over time.
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Plastic waste is disposed of by incineration, landfill, or mismanagement
Plastic is an inexpensive and versatile material that has become ubiquitous in modern life. Unfortunately, plastic waste is a significant contributor to environmental degradation and pollution. While recycling efforts are important, they only account for a small proportion of total plastic waste generated each year. For instance, in 2018, the recycling rate for plastic containers and packaging in the US was only 8.7%. This means that the vast majority of plastic waste is disposed of through other means, such as incineration, landfill, or mismanagement.
Incineration, or burning, of plastic waste is a common method of disposal, especially in areas lacking solid waste collection services and landfills. However, this practice has severe negative consequences for both human health and the environment. Burning plastic can release toxic pollutants, including microplastics, bisphenols, and phthalates, which can contaminate the air and disrupt neurodevelopment, endocrine, and reproductive functions. In Guatemala, for example, 71% of households rely on burning waste as their primary disposal method, exposing individuals to harmful toxins.
Landfilling is another widely used method for disposing of plastic waste. In 2018, landfills in the United States received 27 million tons of plastic, accounting for 18.5% of all municipal solid waste (MSW) landfilled. While landfilling may seem like a more innocuous option than incineration, it also has significant environmental and technical complications. Plastic waste in landfills can undergo long-term degradation, releasing harmful gases and leachate that contribute to pollution and climate change. Additionally, microplastics can form and spread from landfills, posing hazards to a wide range of floral and faunal species.
Mismanagement of plastic waste is also a significant issue. This can include open dumping and illegal burning of plastic waste, which often occurs in areas with inadequate waste management infrastructure. The improper disposal of plastic waste can lead to the release of plastic pollution into the environment, including oceans, rivers, and other natural habitats. Mismanaged plastic waste not only harms local ecosystems but can also have global impacts, as plastic pollution can travel long distances and accumulate in ocean gyres, forming massive areas of plastic accumulation, such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
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Frequently asked questions
It is challenging to keep track of global recycling efforts as monitoring and records vary across countries. However, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States, the world's largest plastic polluter, recycled only 5% of its household plastic waste. This translates to around three million tons of recycled plastics, with a recycling rate of 8.7% in 2018.
Despite new regulations and technological advancements, recycling plastic is often not economically viable compared to producing new plastic. The process of sorting, collecting, processing, and transporting plastic waste adds to the costs, making it more expensive than simply throwing plastic away. Additionally, the recycling system itself is flawed, as most plastics are incompatible, making sorting difficult and inefficient.
Low recycling rates have severe environmental consequences. Plastic waste is choking our oceans, contaminating our drinking water, and negatively impacting human health. Additionally, the production of plastic contributes to global emissions, with plastic manufacturing responsible for 3.4% of global emissions, or 1.8 billion tons of greenhouse gases.
