As a society we have become much more conscious of our impact on the environment in recent years.
The news is full of reports of extreme weather and natural catastrophes all over the world. Floods in Pakistan and New Zealand, Heatwaves in Europe, Draughts in Kenya, wildfires in Australia and the US, to name just a few.
Experts agree that climate change is responsible for an increase in these extreme conditions. And they are now touching the lives of the majority of people on the planet.
One big contributor to the problems our environment faces is plastic pollution. And these statistics on plastic pollution don’t make for comfortable reading.
- Statistics On Plastic Production
- Plastic Waste Statistics
- Plastic Pollution Statistics
- Impact On Wildlife
- Impact On Humans
Here we go…
Statistics On Plastic Pollution – Most Concerning Figures
- Worldwide plastic production: every year the world produces almost 400 million tonnes of plastic
- Plastic waste: around 363 million tonnes of plastic waste is produced each year
- Plastic recycling: only 9% of plastic waste is recycled worldwide
- Fossil fuel: 90% of plastic is made from fossil fuels
- Waste in our environment: 22% of plastic waste ends up in our environment
- Plastic pollution on our beaches: 73% of waste on our beaches is plastic
- Dead marine animals: over 1 million marine animals die every year because of plastic pollution
- Seabirds eat plastic: by 2050, every seabird will eat plastic
- Plastic in our bodies: on average, a person eats, drinks and breathes in between 78,000 and 211,000 pieces of plastic per year
Plastic Production Statistics
Knowing more about how much plastic is around, helps to see why plastic pollution is such a problem.
How much plastic do we produce worldwide?
Plastic is such a versatile and durable material that we have become very dependent on it. As a result, we now produce almost 400 million tonnes worldwide every year.
This is a far cry from the 1.5 million tonnes the world produced back in the 1950s, when mass production of this material first started.
In 2021, the world production of plastic was estimated at 390.7 million tonnes, which is an 80% increase since the 20th century.
And production levels have continued to grow every year since then and are likely to continue to do so.
These amounts are so huge that it’s difficult to put them into context.
Where is our plastic produced?
In 2021, the world’s largest producer of plastic is China, with 32% of all plastic produced coming from this country.
The second-largest plastic producer, with 18% of the global share, is North America. The rest of Asia produces 17% of the world’s plastic.
The fourth-biggest producer is Europe, with 15% of all plastic in the world coming from this continent in 2021.
What Is Our Plastic Made Of?
The majority, 90%, of our plastic is made from crude oil, which means fossil fuels. This means it’s made from a source that is limited. As such, it’s not sustainable.
Plastic can also be made from plant-derived sources, such as corn starch or castor oil. While these are still plastic, their production is much more sustainable.
Producing plastic also releases a lot of carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change. It’s estimated that 2.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide is generated to produce 1 tonne of plastic.
Plastic Waste Statistics
With so much plastic being produced every year, it should come as no surprise that we also produce a huge amount of plastic waste every year.
And this plastic waste has to be dealt with in some form or another.
How much plastic waste is produced worldwide?
It’s estimated that currently the world produces around 363 million tonnes of plastic waste each year.
And with plastic production forecast to rise every year, the amount of plastic waste we produce will also rise.
The biggest producer of plastic waste worldwide is the US. Estimations suggest that in 2021 the US produced 36 million tonnes of plastic waste.
How much plastic waste do we produce in the UK?
In 2021, the UK produced 2.5 million tonnes. Most of this waste comes from food packaging items, which accounts for 70% of the plastic waste.
Some estimates suggest that each UK household throws away 100 billion pieces of plastic packaging every year, which is an average of 66 pieces per week.
With this, the UK ranks number five in the list of the biggest producers of single-use plastic waste.
What is the biggest contributor to plastic waste?
It is estimated that 70% of plastic waste in the UK comes from plastic packaging, such as food wrappers, food trays, plastic bottles, etc.
While some plastic packaging, such as fruit trays and plastic bottles, can be recycled, not everything that can be recycled is recycled.
How much plastic waste ends up in landfill?
While many types of plastic are recyclable, it is estimated that 25% of plastic waste in the UK ends up in landfill.
There it will break down very slowly, often taking hundreds of years. Some plastics don’t break down at all. When plastic breaks down, it can release toxins into the environment, which can harm plants and animals.
When the plastic is broken down into tiny pieces, it’s called microplastics. These can get anywhere, even into our bodies.
How much of the plastic waste is recycled?
It is estimated that only 9% of plastic waste is recycled globally. With most of it ending up in landfill.
In 2021, 44.2% of plastic waste was recycled in the UK. However, this also includes plastic waste that has been incinerated for energy recovery and plastic waste that has been exported to other countries.
In reality, only 12% of plastic waste is recycled in UK facilities according to estimates. And the UK is not the worst when it comes to recycling plastic waste.
According to some data, in 2021 in the US only 5% to 6% of plastic waste was recycled.
How much UK plastic waste is incinerated?
The majority of our plastic waste in the UK is incinerated, a staggering 46%. Basically, the waste is burned to generate energy.
While it might sound like a good idea to get electricity that way, it’s actually bad for our environment. That’s because burning plastic produces a huge amount of CO2 emissions.
Burning 1 tonne of plastic releases 2 tonnes of CO2. Given that the UK incinerates almost half of its plastic waste, it’s estimated that it is responsible for releasing 750,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year.
That’s the equivalent of having 350,000 extra cars on the UK roads. This contributes massively to global warming and climate change.
How much plastic waste does the UK send abroad?
Estimates suggest that 17% of plastic waste from the UK is exported to other countries to deal with.
The main reason for this is that we produce too much plastic waste and our domestic waste facilities just can’t cope with it.
The biggest importer of UK plastic waste is Turkey. In 2021, the UK exported 123,000 tonnes of plastic waste to Turkey.
Plastic Pollution Statistics
Everything that isn’t sent to landfill, recycled, incinerated or exported ends up in our environment as plastic pollution.
There it can take years, even centuries to break down, if it does at all. And it can cause a lot of harm to plants and animals.
How Much Plastic Waste Ends Up In Our Environment?
It is estimated that worldwide 22% of plastic waste ends up in our environment, either through littering, illegal dumping or because it was mismanaged.
This plastic waste ends up in our oceans, rivers and countryside, where it can do a lot of harm.
Over the years, the plastic breaks down in ever smaller pieces, so-called microplastics. These are so small that they can get everywhere, even into our bodies.
How Much Plastic Is In Our Oceans?
It is estimated that more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic are floating in our oceans. In 2020, plastic waste accounted for 80% of all debris studied in the oceans.
Some of this has been dumped in our oceans purposely, some has been thrown over board from ships, some of it got littered on the beach and washed in by the tides and some got into our oceans through our rivers.
It is estimated that around 8 million plastic pieces find their way into our oceans every day, which equates to between 8 and 14 million tonnes per year.
Most of this plastic floats on top of the water, and it is thought that 88% of the water surface is polluted by plastic waste.
Our beaches are also littered with waste, 73% of which is plastic. Plastic waste found on our beaches includes cigarette butts, plastic bottles and caps, food wrappers, plastic bags and food containers.
Impact Of Plastic Pollution On Wildlife
It is estimated that over 1 million marine animals die every year due to plastic pollution. The main causes are animals getting entangled in plastic and animals starving because they eat plastic which gets stuck and then prevents them from swallowing food.
Studies have shown that 100% of marine turtles, 59% of whales, 36% of seals and 40% of seabirds examined were impacted by plastic pollution.
It is estimated that over 90% of all seabirds have ingested plastic. And more than two-thirds of all fish in the world are eating plastic.
Estimates suggest that by 2050 every seabird in the world will eat plastic.
Plastic pollution is having such a big impact on our wildlife that 700 species are at risk of extinction because of it.
Plastic in our oceans also destroys important habitats such as coral reefs, where 25% of marine life lives. It is estimated that corals that come in contact with plastic are between 4% and 98% more likely to become diseased.
Impact Of Plastic Pollution On Humans
In 2022, microplastics have been found in human blood for the first time. This means they can flow through our bodies and reach vital organs, which is very concerning.
The study found that almost 80% of participants had these tiny plastic pieces in their blood.
Estimates suggest that on average a person introduces between 78,000 and 211,000 microplastics into their bodies every year. This happens through eating, drinking and breathing.
These plastic particles mostly enter our bodies via bottled water, beer, air, tap water, seafood, sugar, salt and honey.
Scientists think that on average a human breathes in 9.80 plastic particles per every m³ of air every day.
And because so many animals eat plastic, we also ingest it when we eat them. It is thought that 1 in 3 fish that lands on our plates contains plastic.
Conclusion
These statistics on plastic pollution surely look worrying. Given the amount of plastic we produce worldwide every year, it is no surprise that we produce millions of tonnes of plastic waste.
And while plastic is a very useful and versatile material, it also has a huge impact on our environment, wildlife and us humans.
Because only a small amount is recycled, most of the plastic we use ends up in landfill or our environment, where it can take centuries to break down.
Unless we can reduce our dependency on plastic, especially single-use plastic, we will not be able to save our planet.
Sources: statista1, statista2, statista3, statista4, wrap, Santa Cruz Works, oecd, Greenpeace, Surfers Against Sewage, National Geographic, condor ferries, Earth Day, Science Direct,
