From the depths of the Mariana Trench to the peak heights of Mount Everest, and even within the delicate wombs of the human placenta, plastic waste has made its mark. Of the 9 billion metric tons of plastic produced globally, only 600 million tons have been recycled. Yes, that is a fact, but there are more shocking plastic pollution stats that we are going to uncover today.
Plastic Pollution Facts with Stats
Plastic Pollution and Wastage Facts
1. The largest contributor to plastic pollution in the world is the USA, with 42 million metric tons of plastic waste annually.
2. Every world’s water bodies like oceans, rivers, and lakes accumulate approximately 2,000 garbage trucks filled with plastic waste.
3. At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, plastic waste generated among 193 companies was 8.4 million tonnes.
4. China’s plastic waste imports are approximately 106 million metric tons which includes shipments of bottles and packaging materials.
5. Out of total waste, 46% of plastic is tossed in landfills, and 22% ends up as litter due to improper management.
6. The cost estimation of marine pollution for natural capital and resources is between US$ 3,300 and US$ 33,000 per ton of plastic waste in the oceans.
7. Since the pandemic, plastic waste in more than around 2,000 double-decker buses, that is 25,900 tonnes has been dumped into oceans
8. The value of plastic packaging waste is estimated to cause an annual loss of US$80-120 billion.
9. In the USA, each person produces approximately 287 pounds of plastic pollution per year.
10. Over our lifetime, we are estimated to consume about 44 pounds of plastic in total.
11. Plastics with life of less than five years contribute to almost 66% of plastic waste with
- Packaging for 40%
- Consumer goods for 12%
- Clothing and textiles for 11%.
Recycling Facts
12. The USA only generated about 40 million tons of plastic waste i.e. 5 – 6 percentage in the year 2021.
13. Of the 9 billion metric tons of plastic produced worldwide, only 600 million tons, which is slightly over 6.5%, have been recycled.
14. Less than 10% is recycled so far out of seven billion tonnes of plastic waste generated globally.
15. Plastic recycling statistics for these countries are
- Japan 84.8%
- Sweden 84%
- India 80%
- The European Union 58.2%
- USA 28.9%
16. In 2019 the overall bottle recycling rate was 28.7%, but in 2020 it decreased to 27.2%.
17. India has the highest plastic recycling rate, at 60%.
18. Norway is at the top in PET plastic bottle recycling, boasting a 97% recycling rate.
19. Out of all plastic production, only 15% is collected for recycling, and less than 9 percentage is recycled after accounting for losses.
20. Out of 9% recycled, the remaining goes to
- 19% – Incineration
- 50% – landfills.
- 22% – escapes waste management systems.
Facts about plastic bags and bottles
21. Approximately 2.5 million plastic bottles are discarded every hour in the United States alone, and 50 billion plastic water bottles are sold each year.
22. Every minute, one million plastic bottles are purchased, and a staggering 2 million plastic bags are utilized worldwide.
23. It takes over 450 years for plastic bottles to degrade.
24. Packaging, including plastic shopping bags, rubbish bags, bubble wrap, or shrink wrap, constitutes 46% of plastic waste.
25. Roughly 36% of total plastic production is dedicated to packaging, with 85% of this ultimately ending up in landfills.
26. Nearly 98% of single-use plastic products like bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags originate from fossil fuels or virgin feedstock.
27. Microplastics which are a form of pollutants are found in the human placenta in the womb. These are the eye-opening plastic pollution facts that we should make our kids aware of.
28. Over 40% of plastic is utilized just once before being discarded.
29. Plastic constitutes 73% of beach litter across the globe.
30. It is a known fact that plastics have affected almost 700 species, including endangered ones.
31. Humans ingest approximately 5 grams of plastic every week, mostly in the form of smaller particles invisible to the naked eye.
Plastic Effects in the Future
32. The greenhouse gas emissions regarding usage, production, and disposal of fossil fuel-based plastics are predicted to grow to 19 percent of the global carbon budget by 2040.
33. Plastic production over the world is expected to increase by 1,100 million tonnes by 2050.
34. By 2050, annual emissions from plastic production and waste would cross 2.75 billion metric tons of Carbon dioxide equivalent(Co2e)
How Much Plastic Waste Is Produced Each Year?
Every year the world produces 400 million metric tons of plastic waste.
Within the last six decades, mass plastic production has surged, creating 8.3 billion metric tons of which 91% is not recycled, leaving it as waste in the world.
Below we can find the graph for plastic waste produced annually by the industrial sector for the year 2019.
Cross-Reference: Annual global plastic waste generation by industrial sector, 2019 (ourworldindata.org)
We hope these shocking plastic pollution facts highlight the extreme environmental consequences that we and our kids will face tomorrow. But our concentrated actions could enhance our efforts to save nature and human health. For more such informative content, keep reading our blog posts.
