Is Plastic Production Increasing Globally?

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Check out this answer from Consensus:

Global plastic production is indeed increasing, with significant environmental implications. The production and disposal of plastics contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. Future projections indicate that this trend will continue, necessitating urgent action to manage plastic waste and mitigate its environmental impact. The data underscores the need for innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to address the growing plastic crisis.

Plastic production has become an integral part of modern life, with its applications spanning across various industries due to its durability, stability, and low cost. However, the rapid increase in plastic production has raised significant environmental concerns. This article explores the trends in global plastic production, its environmental impact, and future projections.

Trends in Global Plastic Production

The production of plastics has seen a dramatic increase over the past few decades. According to a comprehensive global analysis, approximately 8300 million metric tons (Mt) of virgin plastics have been produced to date. As of 2015, around 6300 Mt of plastic waste had been generated, with only 9% being recycled, 12% incinerated, and a staggering 79% accumulated in landfills or the natural environment1. This trend indicates a significant increase in plastic production and waste generation.

Environmental Impact

The environmental impact of plastic production and waste is profound. Plastics release various chemicals during degradation, which negatively affect biota. Notably, plastics produce greenhouse gases such as methane and ethylene when exposed to ambient solar radiation. Polyethylene, the most produced and discarded synthetic polymer globally, is a significant emitter of these gases2. This unrecognized source of climate-relevant trace gases is expected to increase as more plastic is produced and accumulates in the environment.

Future Projections

The future of plastic production appears to be on an upward trajectory. Studies predict that global plastic production will fluctuate between 500 and 600 million metric tons by 20253. This increase is driven by the growing demand for plastic products across various sectors. Additionally, global plastic waste production increased by more than 2.25 times between 2000 and 2019, reaching 353.3 million tons in 20194. If current trends continue, the amount of plastic waste in landfills or the natural environment could reach approximately 12,000 Mt by 20501.

 

 

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Chris Wilcox has answered Near Certain

An expert from Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Marine Science, Ecology

Yes

 

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Paolo S Calabrò has answered Near Certain

An expert from Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria in Environmental Engineering

Yes, until 2019, plastics production had a steady growth over the last years.

 

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Brian Johnston has answered Near Certain

An expert from University of Wolverhampton in Cell Biology, Biotechnology, Microbiology

Plastic pollution is a huge and increasing global issue. It has been estimated that the UK alone produces over five million tonnes of plastic waste every year (Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2018).

 

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Irene Barguilla has answered Near Certain

An expert from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Genetics, Toxicology

Plastic production increased exponentially, from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons by 2015 and it is expected to double by 2050. This comes along with an exponential plastic waste input into the ocean (https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution; doi: 10.1126/science.1260352).

 

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Sahar Seif has answered Near Certain

An expert from Carleton University in Environmental Science

The petroleum virgin plastic production has doubled if not tripled in the last decade.

 

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Josefa Domenech has answered Near Certain

An expert from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Toxicology, Microbiology

Yes. The world plastic production has rocketed considerably during the last decades, going from about 50 million tonnes in the 70’s to 368 million tonnes in 2019. Although the contribution to the total plastic manufacturing is uneven across the different continents, being Asia the responsible of half of the world plastic production, the tendency observed in the last years indicates a constant increase.

 

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Sharon George has answered Near Certain

An expert from Keele University in Environmental Science

Yes, the rate of production has been globally increasing at a rate of around 70% to almost 350 million tonnes in 2017 from around 2002.  Rates of production in Europe have slowed down, but in other parts of the world, particularly Asia, where around 50% of all our plastic is produced, the rate of plastic production is still rising. Covid-19 will have a marked effect on this with the production of PPE, and disposable materials for vaccine delivery.

 

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Jenifer Panizzon has answered Near Certain

An expert from Feevale University in Environmental Science

Yes, as recent data shows, plastic production is increasing each year, not only in Brazil.

 

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Jacqueline Rutkowski has answered Near Certain

An expert from Interdisciplinary Institute for Studies and Research on Sustainability in Environmental Science

Yes, I have not researched this data recently, but in recent years, the production of plastic has been increasing, year by year, since new different uses have been created for this material.

 

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Joana C Prata has answered Near Certain

An expert from University of Aveiro in Toxicology, Chemistry

Plastic production has been increasing globally. For instance, global production grew from 359 million t to 368 million t from 2018 to 2019. Data is available in https://www.plasticseurope.org/en/resources/publications/4312-plastics-facts-2020

 

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Carla Elliff has answered Near Certain

An expert from University of Sao Paulo in Oceanography, Climatology

Yes. Mass production of plastics began around the 1950s and has increased every year since. Estimates are in fact that from 1950 to 2015, the global production of plastic increased 200-fold (see: https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution). By 2050, about 12000 metric tons are expected to reach landfills and the environment if production rates and waste management trends continue (see: https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700782).

 

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Britta Denise Hardesty has answered Near Certain

An expert from Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Biology, Marine Ecology, Ecology, Plant Ecology

Yes, by all accounts, wherever one looks to see the numbers, plastic production is increasing globally.

 

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Alethia Vazquez-Morillas has answered Near Certain

An expert from Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana in Environmental Science, Engineering

Yes, according to Plastics Europe, plastic production has increased steadily since the 50s, reaching 368 million tonnes in 2020 (see https://www.plasticseurope.org/en/resources/publications/4312-plastics-facts-2020). China accounts for roughly 50% of production.

 

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Ece Topuzlu has answered Near Certain

An expert from Janssen in Biochemistry

Yes. The plastic production is increasing globally, and the amount we have produced in the 21st century (20 years) has already greatly exceeded the combined amount of plastic produced in the 20th century. Our energy demand for plastic production has also increased significantly. The plastics we produce and send to landfills across the world have been leaking into the environment, and we are finding plastics and microplastics (really small plastic particles) in deep trenches of our oceans, the tops of our mountains, in our drinking water, and even in the air that we breathe.

 

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Gian Claudio Faussone has answered Near Certain

An expert from SINTOL in Chemical Engineering

According to Plasticeurope.org, in 2020 production and demand of plastics remained stable globally despite COVID situation, while in Europe declined due to economic downturn. From 2018 to 2019 however, global production rised from 358 to 368 Mton.

 

Is plastic production increasing globally?

Jill Bartolotta has answered Near Certain

An expert from Ohio State University in Marine Ecology, Education, Social Sciences, Environmental Science

Yes the production of plastics is increasing globally with 20 firms linked to 55% of the world’s plastic waste issue as recently determined by a study conducted in Australia (https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57149741). Our increase in plastic production is 400,000 percent greater than 1950 when we really started to see plastics enter the mainstream market (https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution). We are also seeing a huge spike in the production of plastic as a result of the COVID pandemic. Some countries are reporting an increase of 350% for plastic medical items (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7430241/).