Blog, News // 04. 09. 2024

Plastic Pollution Statistics

Year after year, the global plastic pollution problem literally and figuratively suffocates the planet. There’s no denying that plastic adds value to our lives. It’s affordable and versatile and used in construction, medicine tools, food packaging, and other industries. However, improperly managing it is detrimental to people and nature. If it’s not recycled or put in sealed landfills, it pollutes the environment. Plastic production also uses fossil fuels, which significantly impacts climate change. Yearly, about two million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans, harming wildlife and ecosystems.

Plastic Production and Consumption

Our World in Data reported that about 8,300 million metric tons (Mt) of new plastics have been produced. The volume of plastic waste in 2015 was about 6,300 million Mt. From this:

  • Only 9% was recycled.
  • Just 12% was burned.
  • Significantly, 79% ended up in landfills or nature.

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF PLASTIC WASTE

 

If people don’t change how they manage plastic, about 12,000 Mt of plastic waste will be in landfills or nature by 2050.

Global Plastic Production Rates

The amount of plastic made each year has grown rapidly. Since the 1950s, plastic production has soared from 2 million Mt to about 400.3 million Mt in 2022. Here’s a breakdown of the key data points:

Source: Plastic Soup Foundation

GLOBAL PLASTIC PRODUCTION RATES FROM 1950-2050

It should be noted that these numbers come from the plastics industry, but they don’t count synthetic fibres, so the actual amount is even higher.

When it comes to global plastic materials produced by region, China is, by far, the largest producer in the world. It produced 32% of plastic production in 2022.  Around 19% is from the rest of Asia, and roughly 17% is from North America. As of June 2024, China produces about 6.6 million Mt of plastic products monthly. Its highest monthly output was in December 2021, at almost 8 million Mt.

Key Industries Contributing to Plastic Waste

Industrial plastic waste comes from making, processing, and wrapping products in different industries. Packaging tops the list with 44% of plastic use. Here are the top sectors that create plastic waste:

Source: Plastic Soup Foundation

A recent study reported that for every 1% rise in plastic production by brand companies, there’s a 1% rise in pollution. Dynamic consumer goods companies play a bigger role in the problem than household and retail companies. Science Advances found that 56 global companies are behind over half of all branded plastic waste, with these topping the list:

  • Coca-Cola: 11%
  • PepsiCo: 5%
  • Nestlé: 3%
  • Danone: 3%
  • Altria/Philip Morris International: 2%

TOP COMPANIES CONTRIBUTING TO BRANDED PLASTIC WASTE

Source: Science Advances

These companies mainly make food, drinks, or tobacco products.

Plastic Pollution

There are many types of plastic with different grades and uses. However, most plastics are made from unsustainable materials and are hard to recycle, which has contributed to the exorbitant rise of plastic pollution.

Types of Plastic Waste

Sources: Waste4Change, London Recycles, CleanHub

TYPES OF PLASTICS, THIER RECYCLABILITY, AND EXAMPLES

Key Points:

  • All plastics can leach hazardous materials under extreme conditions like high heat.
  • PET, HDPE, and PP are generally considered safer.
  • PET and HDPE are the most commonly recycled types.

Sources of Plastic Pollution

Plastics are unnatural in the environment due to their properties. They’re cheap to make and used everywhere, leading to widespread pollution:

  • Single-use Plastics: About 40% of plastic is used only once. Straws, solo cups, and manufacturing products—supermarkets are full of them. Much ends up as litter, especially where waste collection is lacking. Despite efforts, single-use plastics are a major cause of plastic pollution.
  • Various Sources: Plastic pollution isn’t just from single-use items. Car tyres release microplastics, synthetic clothes shed microfibres, and personal care products and paint can contain microplastics. Even cigarette filters and chewing gum have plastic.
  • Various Channels: Plastics reach the ocean through river water flow and wind, which can blow lightweight plastic from landfills. Balloon ribbons, for instance, often end up on beaches after being carried by wind and water.

Plastic in the Ocean

Plastics break down into tiny pieces called microplastics and nanoplastics, which are harmful and spread throughout the food chain. Marine ecosystems are especially affected by these tiny particles.

Volume of Plastic Waste in Oceans

There are 75 to 199 million tonnes of plastic waste in the oceans, with 33 billion pounds added each year. The volume of plastic exceeds current waste management and recycling capacity, affecting every part of the ocean, from microplastics in the food chain to floating bottles.

Plastic is the leading ocean pollutant, mostly from littering, poor waste management, and industrial activities. Chemical pollutants, oil spills, and agricultural waste follow.

Here are the leading plastic pollutants suffocating the ocean:

Source: GreenMatch

LEADING PLASTIC POLLUTANTS IN THE OCEAN

Major Ocean Gyres Affected by Plastic

Plastic in the ocean breaks down into small pieces that can sink, float, or stay in the water. Large currents called gyres gather this plastic waste. There are five main gyres:

  • North Atlantic Gyre: Rotates clockwise between North America, Europe, and Africa
  • South Atlantic Gyre: Spins counterclockwise between South America and Africa
  • North Pacific Gyre: Rotates clockwise between Asia and North America
  • South Pacific Gyre: Spins counterclockwise between Australia and South America
  • Indian Ocean Gyre: Rotates counterclockwise between Africa, Asia, and Australia

These gyres help move ocean water around and collect pollution from coastal areas, creating marine debris. Only 0.5% of ocean plastic floats on the surface. The rest sinks deeper or settles on the seabed.

A good example is North Pacific Gyre’s The Great Pacific Garbage Patch or the Pacific Trash Vortex. It’s made up of two main debris zones and looks like a cloudy soup due to microplastics. Similar “garbage patches” have recently been found in the South Pacific and North Atlantic. Most plastics come from land activities in North America and Asia, with some from ships. These areas gather plastic and other debris, which can harm marine life.

Here’s the amount of plastic in different parts of the world’s oceans, measured in billions of pieces and categorised by size:

Source: Plastic Soup Foundation

DISTRIBUTION OF PLASTIC PIECES IN OCEANS AND SEAS

Impact on Marine Life

The ocean is highly vulnerable to plastic waste, which spreads everywhere through waves and storms. Plastics gather in large gyres and even reach remote islands. Over time, they break down into tiny pieces, making cleanup nearly impossible.

Harm to Marine Species

Plastic pollution kills over 100,000 marine mammals yearly. The main problems caused by plastic are:

  • Ingestion
  • Suffocation
  • Entanglement
  • Toxic contamination

The size of plastic affects different species in various ways and over different periods:

Source: Fauna and Flora

IMPACT OF PLASTIC SIZE OF SPECIES AND ECOSYSTEMS

Cases of Ingestion and Entanglement

Animals have been innocently ingesting plastic for a long time. The first big finding was in 1966 when researchers found plastic lids and toys in dead albatross chicks. This was over 20 years before the Great Pacific Garbage Patch was found. Now, over 700 species are known to eat plastic, and this number may keep growing as wildlife comes across more plastic pollutants.

Here’s a look at how marine species are affected by plastic ingestion:

Sources: Fauna and Flora, Biological Diversity, Marine Debris Program

Without any action:

IMPACT OF PLASTIC INGESTION ON MARINE SPECIES

Plastic Pollution and Human Health

Plastic pollution is a big problem for all life on Earth because the chemicals in plastics are toxic. Research shows that plastics can get into our blood and stay in our bodies for life.

Microplastics in Food and Water

Plastic pollution affects our food and drink, commonly through:

  • Fish and Shellfish: An average person consumes about 53,864 microplastic particles yearly from seafood.
  • Fruits and Vegetables: These can absorb microplastics from the soil. Apples and carrots are especially contaminated.
  • Beer: Contains about 28 microplastic particles per litre due to plastic pollution in water and crops.
  • Salt: The average adult consumes about 2,000 microplastic particles a year from salt.
  • Tea: Plastic tea bags release billions of microplastics into your drink.

Potential Health Risks

Microplastics can damage human cells. Long-term exposure also increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It can likewise harm gut health and weaken the immune system. Microplastics also disrupt hormones for men, women, and kids:

Source: Plastic Soup Foundation

POTENTIAL HEALTH RISKS OF MICROPLASTICS

Efforts to Combat Plastic Pollution

United Nations reported that 175 nations have agreed to create a legally binding agreement on plastic pollution by 2024.

Global Initiatives and Agreements

Here are seven global measures to fighting plastic pollution:

Source: EarthDay.Org

Local and National Policies

Local policies to fight plastic pollution are important but face challenges due to the global nature of plastic production and waste. But progress has been made in many countries. In the Philippines, a leading contributor to ocean pollution in Asia, the “Extended Producer Responsibility” law now requires large businesses to manage plastic waste.  This law follows the “polluter pays” principle, making plastic producers cover the costs of waste prevention and recovery.

Innovations in Plastic Recycling

Advances in Recycling Technology

Here are three advancements in recycling:

  • Organic Recycling: This involves degradation by microorganisms under controlled conditions. Results from such a degradation of specific plastics are carbon dioxide, methane, and water.
  • Smart Bins: These are the recycling bins that are driven by AI. They use sensors and data analysis to sort materials. The sensors detect what type of materials are in the bin and help sort them properly.
  • Pyrolysis: This is a form of chemical recycling that changes plastics unable to be recycled otherwise into another type of resource (like fuel).

Challenges in Plastic Recycling

Here are three challenges in recycling:

  • Lack of Standardisation: Not all plastic is the same. Without standardisation, sorting and processing become ineffective.
  • Contamination: Contamination happens when plastics are mixed with non-recyclable materials. Contamination often makes the product unusable.
  • Limited Market Demand: There’s generally low demand for recycled plastics because they’re often seen as low-quality.

Strategies for Reducing Plastic Pollution

Every small step counts:

  • Approach cosmetics with caution. Stay away from beauty products with microbeads.
  • Prioritise home-cooked meals. Not only is it healthier, but you also won’t have to worry about take-out bags and plastic cutleries.
  • Avoid using single-use plastics like straws, grocery bags, to-go cups, and disposable cutleries.
  • Go thrifting. Look into shops that sell second-hand items, like thrift stores and antique shops.
  • It can be hard sometimes, but make a conscious decision to recycle anything that you can to reduce your footprint in waste streams.

Conclusion

We only have one planet. We all must take action to reduce our daily consumption of plastic products to save Mother Earth.