The Shocking Truth About Daily Plastic Waste

Plastic waste is a pressing global issue, with plastic choking our oceans, lakes, and rivers and piling up on land, causing harm to wildlife and the environment. The production of plastic has increased rapidly, with an estimated global plastic production of over 380 million tons annually, and a projection that the U.S. alone will surpass 140 million metric tons of plastic waste by 2060. Plastic waste has severe environmental and health impacts, particularly on marine life, with an estimated 75 to 199 million tons of plastic currently in our oceans, and the flow of plastic into the ocean projected to nearly triple by 2040. This raises the question: how much plastic waste is wasted every day, and what can be done to address this growing problem?

Plastic packaging waste

In 2024, it was estimated that UK households discard 90 billion plastic pieces annually, with only 17% being recycled domestically. This is despite the fact that the UK, the world's second-biggest producer of plastic waste per person, has overwhelming support for plastic reduction. The situation is similar in the US, the biggest producer of plastic waste, where plastic containers and packaging are the main source of plastic waste. In 2021, it was estimated that out of the 40 million tons of municipal plastic waste generated, at least 80% would be sent to landfill sites.

The plastic waste crisis requires systemic reform, but individual choices can also make a difference. People can shift their behaviour to avoid single-use plastic products, opting for reusable or repurposed items instead. If plastic products are unavoidable, they should be reused and recycled or disposed of properly when they can no longer be used. However, recycling alone cannot keep up with the volume of plastics being produced, and the focus should also be on reducing plastic production and embracing reuse and refill schemes.

To address the plastic waste crisis, taxes can deter the production and use of single-use plastics, while tax breaks and incentives can encourage alternatives. Additionally, waste management infrastructure needs improvement, and governments should engage in processes to create legally binding instruments that tackle plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.

Plastic in oceans

Plastic in our oceans is a global crisis. Billions of pounds of plastic are in the oceans, accounting for about 40% of the world's ocean surfaces. It is estimated that 15-51 trillion pieces of plastic are in the oceans, from the Arctic ice sheets to the sea floor. Every square mile of the Earth's surface ocean contains plastic pollution.

The plastic in the oceans comes from thousands of sources worldwide. The primary sources are land and ocean-based, and the plastic enters the water in many ways. Rivers are the primary carriers of plastic from land to sea. However, not every piece of plastic in a river will end up in the ocean. Many objects sink to the riverbed or get stuck somewhere along the river system. The closer the river is to the ocean, the more likely the plastic will reach it.

The flow of plastic into the ocean is projected to nearly triple by 2040. Without significant action to address plastic pollution, 50 kg of plastic will enter the ocean for every meter of shoreline. The primary contributors to this pollution are rapidly developing middle-income countries in Asia, which are responsible for an estimated 80% of global leakage. The U.S. and Europe, which have advanced collection systems, still leak 170,000 tons of plastic into the ocean annually.

The plastic in the ocean has a direct and deadly effect on wildlife. Marine life gets caught and killed in derelict fishing nets and other plastic debris. Animals can easily mistake plastic debris for food. A recent study found that a quarter of fish at markets in California contained plastic in their guts, mostly in the form of plastic microfibers. It is estimated that 60% of all seabird species have eaten pieces of plastic, with that number predicted to increase to 99% by 2050.

Plastic in landfills

Plastic waste is a pressing global issue with far-reaching environmental and health consequences. Landfills are a major destination for plastic waste, with about 60% of all the plastics ever made globally ending up in landfills or loose in the environment. In 2019, about 50% of global plastic waste was sent to sanitary landfills, and this number is projected to increase significantly if current production and waste management trends persist. By 2050, an estimated 12,000 Mt of plastic waste will be in landfills or the natural environment.

Landfills are a significant repository of various types of plastics, including HDPE, LDPE, PP, PS, EPS, PVC, and PET. These plastics are commonly used in packaging, accounting for a large portion of the waste in landfills. In 2016, the consumption of these plastics was substantial, with LDPE and HDPE having the highest in-use stock per capita.

The presence of plastics in landfills has severe environmental and ecological implications. Plastics in landfills can take up to 1,000 years to degrade, during which they release potentially toxic substances into the surrounding soil and water through leachate and landfill gases. These toxic chemicals can contaminate the food chain, impacting all forms of life, including humans.

Additionally, as plastic debris ages, it undergoes oxidative photodegradation, releasing harmful volatile organic compounds. This process contributes to the formation of microplastics (MPs), which are small particles that can be transported over long distances. MPs act as carriers of pollutants, absorbing contaminants and leaching out plastic monomers and additives, further exacerbating the environmental impact of plastic waste in landfills.

To address the issue of plastic waste in landfills, it is essential to focus on waste management strategies, such as reducing plastic consumption, improving recycling infrastructure, and promoting sustainable alternatives. By taking collective action, we can mitigate the harmful effects of plastic pollution on our environment and ecosystems.

Plastic recycling rates

The low recycling rates of plastic are in stark contrast to materials such as paper, cardboard, glass, and metals, which have much higher recycling rates. For example, the recycling rate of paper was 66% in 2020, and nearly 75% of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today in the US alone.

The reasons for the low recycling rates of plastic include the difficulty in collecting and sorting plastic waste, the environmental harm and economic infeasibility of reprocessing it, and contamination by toxic materials. Single-use plastics, in particular, are extremely challenging to collect and recycle due to their small size and widespread distribution. Additionally, the plastic industry has been accused of perpetuating the myth that recycling can solve the plastic crisis, despite knowing since 1974 that most plastics cannot be recycled economically.

While some specific types of plastic containers have higher recycling rates, such as PET bottles and jars (29.1% in 2018) and HDPE natural bottles (29.3% in 2018), the overall recycling rate for all types of plastic remains low. Furthermore, the recycling rate of plastic is not expected to increase significantly in the future, with projections showing that global plastic use and waste will nearly triple by 2060, with only a meagre increase in plastic recycling, leading to a doubling of global plastic pollution.

Plastic in the US

Plastic is a rapidly growing segment of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the US. In 2018, the US generated 35.7 million tons of plastic, which was 12.2% of MSW generation. This was an increase of 4.3 million tons from 2010 to 2018, with the growth coming from durable goods and the containers and packaging categories. The containers and packaging category had the most plastic tonnage at over 14.5 million tons in 2018. This category includes bags, sacks, wraps, bottles, jars, and other containers.

The US is one of the world's largest consumers of plastics, with plastic use in the country more than tripling since the 1980s. In 2019, US plastic waste generation was estimated at 73 million metric tons, corresponding to more than 220 kilograms per inhabitant. This was roughly five times the global average per capita. With plastic demand showing little sign of slowing down, US plastic waste generation is projected to surpass 140 million metric tons by 2060.

The US produced more plastic waste than any other nation in 2016, generating 42 million tons of plastic waste and 130 kg of plastic waste per capita. Rich countries tend to produce the most plastic waste per person, but the critical factor for plastic pollution is the mismanagement of waste, meaning it is not recycled, incinerated, or kept in sealed landfills. Plastic leakage from the economy is due to the low cost of virgin plastic feedstocks and the challenges associated with recycling combinations of plastic resins, plastics with additives, and contaminated plastics.

To address plastic waste, policy instruments such as recycled content standards, virgin resin taxes, and tradable permits are needed to increase the service life of plastic products. Additionally, improving waste management strategies is crucial to ending plastic pollution. Domestic policies to improve waste management will be essential, but richer countries can also contribute through foreign investments in waste management infrastructure in low-to-middle-income countries, where most ocean plastics originate.

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