Plastic recycling: Facts and figures

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A life without plastics is hard to imagine today. But what should we do with the many millions of tons of used plastic products? The solution is to increase recycling

publication date23TH MARCH 2021

INFOGRAPHIC MAXIMILIAN NERTINGER

Dumped, incinerated, recycled, in use

Utilization of all plastics produced worldwide between 1950 and 2015 (polymers, resins, synthetic fibers, and additives) in millions of tons

Into the bin

Plastic waste according to country, in millions of tons, 2016

Too good for the landfill

Proportion of recycling or disposal paths of plastic waste worldwide (estimated)

Sources:
Roland Geyer et al.: “Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made” (2017), Science Advances

PUBLICATION DATE

22nd March 2021

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