plastic particles floating on the ocean surface
About 171 trillion particles, weighing roughly 2.3 million tonnes, were afloat in 2019; the number has risen sharply since 2005.
Global
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tonnes of plastic waste already polluting the planet
The Lancet Countdown estimates 8 billion tonnes of plastic waste now pollute land, water and air worldwide.
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recycling rate projected for 2060 without new policy
Even by 2060, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) baseline sees only 17% of plastic waste recycled, with half still going to…
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tonnes of plastic projected to be produced in 2060
Production has gone from 2 million tonnes in 1950 to 475 million in 2022 and is set to reach 1,200 million tonnes by 2060.
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tonnes of plastic waste projected in 2060 without new policy
Plastic waste nearly triples from 353 million tonnes in 2019 to 1,014 million tonnes in 2060 on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development…
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of plastic waste recycled worldwide in 2019
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s annual recycling rate: 9% recycled, 19% incinerated, 50% landfilled and 22% mismanaged.
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of all plastic ever made that has been recycled
Of the 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste generated between 1950 and 2015, 9% was recycled, 12% incinerated and 79% landfilled or dumped.
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premature deaths in 2015 from air pollution linked to plastic production
Tiny particles of air pollution from making plastics were linked to about 158,000 early deaths and over US$200 billion in health-related losses in 2015,…
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marine species known to be harmed by plastic debris
914 species have been recorded ingesting or entangled in marine debris, up from 267 in 1997.
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heart-disease deaths a year linked to the plasticiser di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)
DEHP is a chemical added to make plastic soft and flexible. It was linked to 13.5% of all cardiovascular deaths among 55–64-year-olds worldwide in…