tonnes of single-use plastic waste in 2021

Single-use plastic waste grew from 133 to 139 million tonnes between 2019 and 2021 despite bans; about 4.4 tonnes every second.

Region: Global

Value: 139M
Unit: tonnes
Data year: 2021
Trend: Rising
Source name: Minderoo Plastic Waste Makers Index 2023
Source link: web.archive.org/web/20241227024927/https://cdn.minderoo.org/content/uploads/2023/02/04205527/Plastic-Waste-Makers-Index-2023.pdf
Confidence: Evidence: High
Caveat / scope: Analysis by the Minderoo Foundation, an Australian philanthropic organisation set up by Andrew and Nicola Forrest, using commercial market data.
Verified on: 22 September 2026

Sources last verified 22 September 2026. Page updated 24 September 2026. How we check sources