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.
- Value
- 9%
- Unit
- %
- Data year
- 2015
- Trend
- Not applicable
- Source name
- Geyer, Jambeck & Law 2017, Science Advances
- Source link
- doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700782
- Confidence
- Evidence: High
- Caveat / scope
- Cumulative to 2015, not an annual rate.
- Verified on
- 22 September 2026
Sources last verified 22 September 2026. Page updated 22 September 2026. How we check sources