Plastic wastes are ruining our environment and it has gotten serious.

Plastic production is on the rise

According to a report published by the UNEP(United Nations Environment Programme) production of plastic has outpaced that of almost every other material since 1950. World plastic production in 2015 was 400 million tonnes, out of which 146 million tonnes is plastic packaging. Which is equivalent to 36% of total plastic production.

Total plastic packaging waste in 2015 was 141 million tonnes. These are alarming stats as the majority of plastic produced are designed for single-use, much of the plastics we use in our daily life is designed to be thrown away after being used only once.

Primary plastic production by the industrial sector,2015

What happens to plastic waste?

The majority of plastic waste either ends up in landfills or even worse they are burned. Only a small percentage of plastic wastes are ever recycled. This is heartbreaking as it not only affects the environment but also animals and marine life.

According to a report published by UNEP around 79% of plastic waste end up in open land, another 12% are incinerated and only 9% are recycled.

Disposal of all plastic waste

It takes more than 450 years for a plastic bottle to decompose. Often plastic waste end up in our rivers and oceans, severely affecting our marine life.

Here are rivers that are affected by plastic waste.

Rivers affected by plastic waste

It’s time to act and reduce our individual plastic footprint. The average plastic waste per person worldwide in 2015 was 0.17 kgs

Here are countries with plastic waste generated per person

Plastic waste per person country wise

Some of the most problematic single-use plastic products

1. Plastic beverage bottles
2. Food wrappers
3. Straws
4. Stirrers
5. Foam takeaway containers
6. cigarette butts

What are some eco-friendly alternatives?

Top 5 eco-friendly alternatives to plastic

Although there are alternatives that can significantly reduce plastic usage and wastage. We still find our surroundings littered with a number of plastic products, be it plastic bottles or plastic polythene bags, each of these toxic products can be seen in our surroundings.

According to UN data, the net Indian export for plastic waste in 2018 was 1519977kgs, 373% more than in 1988(321276 kgs).

Here is how much plastic different countries exported since 1988

Further Reading

Plastic Pollution by Hannah Ritchie and Max

Single-Use Plastic sustainability factsheet