Today’s world is built around plastics, and it’s having a detrimental impact on a global scale. More than half of all the plastic that has been produced since 1950 has ended up in a landfill, not being recycled. As a society, we should not only figure out a way to reduce the use of plastics in the future, but we need a better way to utilize recycled plastics as a resource. As of now, millions of tons of plastic are polluting our waterways, and we have to do something to stop it.

Key Takeaways:

• The weight of all the plastic waste produced annually in the world is nearly equal to that of the entire human population.
• Much of the plastic waste that appears in the oceans is brought there by rivers.
• China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines are responsible for approximately half of the plastic waste that winds up in the oceans.

“More than 99% of plastics are produced from chemicals derived from oil, natural gas and coal — all of which are dirty, non-renewable resources. If current trends continue, by 2050 the plastic industry could account for 20% of the world’s total oil consumption.”

Read more: https://www.unenvironment.org/interactive/beat-plastic-pollution/