An incredible 91 percent of plastics are not recycled

Image source: Stijn Dijkstra

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A Whopping 91 Percent of Plastic Isn't Recycled | National Geographic Society
Source: National Geographic

Billions of tons of plastic have been produced in recent decades, and a large portion of it becomes waste, and waste is found in the first analysis of this problem.

Here's how much plastic waste is polluting the earth

The mass production of plastics, which began just six decades ago, has accelerated so rapidly that it has created 8.3 billion metric tons—most of it in disposable products that end up as waste. If that seems like an incomprehensible amount, it is. Even scientists who set out to conduct the world’s first tally of how much plastic has been made, thrown away, incinerated, or landfilled were horrified by the sheer size of the numbers.

"We all knew that from 1950 to now there was a rapid and extreme increase in plastic production, but actually quantifying the cumulative amount of all the plastic that has ever been produced was quite shocking," says Jenna Jambeck, an environmental engineer at the University of Georgia who specializes in studying plastic waste in the oceans.

"Such an increase would 'disrupt' any system that wasn't prepared for it, which is why we've seen leakage from global waste systems into the oceans," he says.

Plastic takes over 400 years to decompose, so most of it still exists in some form. Only 12 percent has been incinerated.

The study began two years ago as scientists struggled to get a handle on the vast amounts of plastic ending up in the oceans and the damage it was causing to birds, marine life and fish. The prediction that by mid-century the oceans would contain more plastic waste than fish, ton for ton, has become one of the most quoted statistics and a rallying cry for action.

You can't manage what you don't measure.

The new study, published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances, is the first global analysis of all the plastic ever made — and its fate. Of the 8.3 billion metric tons ever made, 6.3 billion metric tons have become plastic waste. Of that, only nine percent has been recycled. The vast majority — 79 percent — ends up in landfills or is diverted into the natural environment as waste. Meaning: At some point, most of it will end up in the oceans, the ultimate sink.

If current trends continue, there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic in landfills by 2050. That's 35,000 times the weight of the Empire State Building.

Roland Geyer, the study's lead author, says the team of scientists is trying to lay the groundwork for better management of plastic products. "You can't manage what you don't measure," he says. "It's not just about making a lot of money, it's about making more money year after year."

Half of the resins and fibers used in plastics were produced in the past 13 years, the study found. China alone accounts for 28 percent of the world's resin and 68 percent of polyester polyamide and acrylic fibers.

Geyer, an engineer by training, specializes in industrial ecology as a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has studied various metals and how they are used and managed. The rapid acceleration of plastic production, which has doubled about every 15 years, has outpaced almost every other man-made material. For example, half of all steel produced is used in construction, with a lifespan of ten years. Half of all plastic produced becomes waste in less than a year, the study found.

Much of the growth in plastics production was due to increased use of plastic packaging, which accounts for more than 40 percent of non-fibrous plastics.

Comparing plastic waste around the world

The same team led by Jambeck produced the first study to assess the amount of plastic waste flowing into the oceans each year. The research, published in 2015, estimated that 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in the oceans each year. That's the equivalent of five grocery bags of plastic waste for every foot of coastline around the world.

"We weren't aware of the implications for plastics ending up in our environment until they were already there," Jambeck says. "Now we're in a situation where we have to come from behind to catch up."

Getting control of plastic waste is now such a big task that it requires a comprehensive, global approach, Jambeck says, that includes rethinking plastic chemistry, product design, recycling strategies and consumer use. The study found that the United States lags behind Europe (30 percent) and China (25 percent) in recycling. Recycling in the United States has remained at nine percent since 2012.

"We as a society need to consider whether it's worth trading some convenience for a clean and healthy environment," Geyer says. "For some products that are very environmentally problematic, we might consider using different materials. Or phasing them out."

Originally published by natgeo.com on December 20, 2018