The Us's Plastic Waste Problem: A Startling Overview

Plastic waste is a huge environmental issue, polluting land, oceans, air, and even food and human blood. The U.S. is one of the world's largest consumers of plastics, with plastic use in the U.S. more than tripling since the 1980s. In 2019, U.S. plastic waste generation was estimated at 73 million metric tons, corresponding to more than 220 kilograms per inhabitant. In 2018, plastics generation was 35.7 million tons in the United States, which was 12.2 percent of MSW generation. With plastics demand showing little sign of slowing down, U.S. plastic waste generation is projected to surpass 140 million metric tons by 2060.

Plastic waste in the US is projected to surpass 140 million metric tons by 2060

The US has a big plastic problem. Global plastic production has soared since it became commercially produced and is now ubiquitous in daily life. This growth has seen plastic waste become one of the biggest environmental issues worldwide, polluting land, oceans, air, and even food and human blood.

The transportation sector used over 4% of plastics in the US in 2017, primarily in the production of vehicles. The amount of plastic in vehicles increased to 8.6% of the material weight of North American light vehicles in 2017. The large variety of plastics used and the cost of collection, separation, and cleaning often exceed the virgin material cost, resulting in most automotive plastics being landfilled at the end of life.

In 2018, plastics generation was 35.7 million tons in the United States, which was 12.2% of MSW generation. Scientists at the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) calculated the energy value of landfilled plastic waste in 2019 was enough to supply 5% of the power used by the country's transportation sector, or 5.5% by the industrial sector. They also provided a look at how much plastic waste has been deposited in landfills, on a regional, state, and county level, and the problem is bigger than previously believed. NREL estimates the amount of plastic waste in the United States is 44 million metric tons. Using a slightly different methodology, the US Environmental Protection Agency puts the figure at 32.2 million metric tons.

Plastic waste in the US was estimated at 73 million metric tons in 2019

The US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) calculated that the energy value of landfilled plastic waste in 2019 was enough to supply 5% of the power used by the country's transportation sector, or 5.5% by the industrial sector. NREL estimates the amount of plastic waste in the US is 44 million metric tons, while the US Environmental Protection Agency puts the figure at 32.2 million metric tons.

The EPA reported that in 2018, plastics generation was 35.7 million tons in the US, which was 12.2% of MSW generation. With plastic demand showing little sign of slowing down, US plastic waste generation is projected to surpass 140 million metric tons by 2060.

Plastic waste in the US was 35.7 million tons in 2018

Plastic waste is a huge problem in the US. In 2018, the US generated 35.7 million tons of plastic waste, which was 12.2% of the country's MSW generation. This was roughly five times more than the global average per capita plastic waste generation.

The US is one of the world's largest consumers of plastics, with plastic use in the country more than tripling since the 1980s. This has made the US a major contributor to the growing global plastic waste problem. In 2019, US plastic waste generation was estimated at 73 million metric tons, corresponding to more than 220 kilograms per inhabitant.

The US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) calculated that the energy value of landfilled plastic waste in 2019 was enough to supply 5% of the power used by the country's transportation sector, or 5.5% by the industrial sector. NREL estimates the amount of plastic waste in the US is 44 million metric tons, while the US Environmental Protection Agency puts the figure at 32.2 million metric tons.

The transportation sector used over 4% of plastics in the US in 2017, primarily in the production of vehicles. The amount of plastic in vehicles increased to 8.6% of the material weight of North American light vehicles in 2017. The large variety of plastics used and the cost of collection, separation, and cleaning often exceeding virgin material cost results in most automotive plastics being landfilled at EoL.

Plastic use in buildings is increasing

The U.S. is one of the world's largest consumers of plastics, with plastic use in the country more than tripling since the 1980s. In 2018, plastics generation was 35.7 million tons in the United States, which was 12.2% of MSW generation.

The transportation sector is also a significant user of plastics, with over 4% of plastics in the U.S. in 2017 being used in the production of vehicles. The large variety of plastics used and the cost of collection, separation, and cleaning often result in most automotive plastics being landfilled at the end of their life.

With plastic demand showing little sign of slowing down, U.S. plastic waste generation is projected to surpass 140 million metric tons by 2060. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) calculated that the energy value of landfilled plastic waste in 2019 was enough to supply 5% of the power used by the country's transportation sector or 5.5% by the industrial sector.

Plastic waste in vehicles is increasing

The U.S. has a significant plastic problem, with plastic waste generation projected to surpass 140 million metric tons by 2060. In 2019, U.S. plastic waste generation was estimated at 73 million metric tons, corresponding to more than 220 kilograms per inhabitant. This is roughly five times more than the global average per capita plastic waste generation.

The use of plastics in the U.S. has more than tripled since the 1980s, making the country one of the world's largest consumers of plastics and a major contributor to the growing global plastic waste problem. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) calculated that the energy value of landfilled plastic waste in 2019 was enough to supply 5% of the power used by the country's transportation sector or 5.5% by the industrial sector.

The amount of plastic waste in the United States is significant, with estimates ranging from 32.2 million to 44 million metric tons. With plastics demand showing little sign of slowing down, the issue of plastic waste in vehicles is likely to continue increasing.

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