Plastic – not so fantastic

Since the 1950s,
9.2 billion tonnes
of plastic have been produced, of which 7 billion tonnes have become waste, filling up landfills and polluting lakes, rivers, the soil and the ocean/ Plastic’s durability means it can take thousands or even tens of thousands of years to degrade.

We now produce and consume
430 million tonnes
of plastic each year, two thirds of which are short-lived products which soon become waste. 

Without urgent action that figure will rise
three-fold by 2060,
with devastating impacts for ecosystems and human health.
It is therefore time to eliminate unnecessary plastic, redesign products so they can be reused, repurposed, repaired and recycled, switch to non-plastic substitutes and strengthen systems for sound waste management.  

The impact of plastic pollution

On climate

The production of plastic is among the most energy-intensive manufacturing processes in the world. In 2019, plastic generated 1.8 billion metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, 3.4 per cent of the global total. Ninety per cent of the emissions come from plastic production and the conversion of fossil fuels.

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On ecosystems

Plastic pollution is everywhere, from the bottom of the Ocean to the snows of the Arctic. An estimated 19 to 23 million tonnes of plastic leak into aquatic ecosystems annually, while microplastics accumulate in the soil from sewage, landfills and due to their use in agricultural products such as mulch and fertiliser.

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On wildlife

Plastic pollution has a devasting effect on a huge array of wildlife. Marine litter alone harms more than 800 species while more than 90 per cent of all birds and fish are believed to have plastic particles in their stomachs, which can cause starvation. 

 

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On the economy

Dealing with plastic pollution costs money. But the damage plastic pollution does to our ecosystems and human health costs even more, between US$300 billion and US$600 billion a year. Recent research reveals that the cost of inaction on plastic pollution is higher than the cost of action. 

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On health

Toxic chemical additives used in plastics and microplastics can enter the body through inhalation and absorption via the skin and accumulate in organs. Scientists have established links between links between exposure from chemical additives that leech from plastics with obesity, diabetes, infertility, poor brain health and even cancer.

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Plastic is embedded into every aspect of modern life, from what we wear, how we travel and what we eat. But where exactly is all this plastic coming from?

Packaging

The packaging sector is the largest generator of single-use plastics in the world, with around 36 per cent of all plastic produced used for packaging. 85 per cent of this ends up in landfills or as hazardous waste.

Consumer products

Plastic is found in everything from toothbrushes to medical devices and children’s toys. The scale of the damage this causes is huge, with the plastic used in consumer goods resulting in US$75 billion in environmental damage every year.  

Building and construction

Plastic is used extensively in the construction industry, from plastic pipes and flooring to paint. The industry generates around 100 billion tonnes of waste every year, 35 per cent of which is sent to landfill. 

Agriculture

Around 12.5 million tonnes of plastic products are used in plant and animal production worldwide every year. These include biosolid fertiliser, mulch film and even plastic-coated film, which can leach into the soil damaging soil health and negatively affecting crop yields.

Fisheries

Around 20 per cent of all plastic in the ocean comes from fishing, shipping and recreation, with more than 45 million kg of plastic entering the ocean from industrial fishing gear alone. This can trap and suffocate marine life and pollute the ocean with microplastics. 

Energy

Energy companies are some of the largest plastic polluters in the world, with single-use plastic being made almost exclusively from fossil fuels. 

Textiles and fashion

About 60 per cent of the materials made into clothing is plastic, and every second one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or incinerated. Every time synthetic materials such as polyester are washed, they shed tiny plastic fibres called microfibres, a form of microplastics. Laundry alone causes around half a million tonnes of plastic microfibres to be released into the ocean every year—the equivalent of almost three billion polyester shirts.

Travel and tourism

Eighty per cent of tourists visit coastal areas every year, adding to the 8 million tonnes of plastic that enters the ocean annually. Many hotels are filled with single-use plastics such as shampoo bottles, toothbrushes and combs, while cruise ships dump large amounts of microplastic-laden wastewater into the sea.

 

Transportation

Thirty percent of components in cars are made of plastic. Most of that plastic is made of low-cost virgin polymers and ends up in landfills. Plastic is also used extensively in boats, planes and trains.

Understand plastic pollution

Life-cycle approach

This refers to all the potential impacts associated with the production and consumption of plastics, including raw material extraction and processing, design and manufacturing, packaging, distribution, use and reuse, maintenance and end of life management, including segregation, collection, sorting, recycling, and disposal.

Single-use plastics

Single-use plastics include polyethylene shopping bags and polystyrene food containers as well as the PET (polyethylene terephthalate, a form of polyester) drinks bottle. Today around 500 billion PET drinks bottles are sold every year, the majority of which end up in the ocean.

Microplastics

Microplastics are tiny shards of plastic that come from a variety of sources, including tyres, health and beauty products, synthetic fabrics, artificial turf, lost or discarded fishing fear and leakage from industrial manufacturing and agricultural processes.

 

Writing a new story to end plastic pollution

The world is working on a global treaty to end plastic pollution.

In 2022, UN Member States agreed on a resolution to create a legally binding agreement by 2024 to end plastic pollution. Critically, this includes measures along the entire life cycle of plastics, from product design to production and waste management.

It will take five sessions to negotiate the global agreement, with the fourth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) meeting taking place in Ottawa in April 2024, and the final meeting to be held in Busan, Republic of Korea in November 2024. Countries are under a tight schedule to forge a treaty and make a leap for environmental action. 

What you can do to help

Make your voice heard

Change your behaviour

Motivate your government

Demand better from brands

Be active in your community

Be active in your community

Talk to your local authorities: ask them for more robust, effective recycling and waste management systems. Inadequate municipal solid waste management is one of the largest contributors to plastic pollution on land and water. 

Read more about how to Beat Plastic Pollution.

Volunteer

Know your government’s position

Support innovators

Build your understanding

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Beat Pollution aims to build and nurture a larger narrative on a pollution-free planet that weaves interrelated aspects of climate and nature and connects different forms of pollution to the larger issue of pollution and waste. The goal is to optimize human health and environmental outcomes through enhanced capacity and leadership in the sound management of chemicals and waste and increasing circular processes.

FORMS OF POLLUTION

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