Of the approximately 9.2 billion metric tons of plastic produced by humans since 1950, only nine percent has been recycled. The remaining plastic waste, which often becomes waste after a single use, has either been incinerated (12 percent of total waste), or worse, is still sitting in landfills or in the natural environment. The latter category accounts for 79 percent of all plastic ever produced. Depending on the type of plastic and the conditions in which it is situated, plastic can take as long as (an estimated) 1,000 years to decompose.
Distribution of plastic waste worldwide from 1950 to 2018 by waste stream
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UNEP. (May 25, 2018). Distribution of plastic waste worldwide from 1950 to 2018 by waste stream [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 23, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1192497/plastic-waste-share-by-waste-stream-worldwide/
UNEP. "Distribution of plastic waste worldwide from 1950 to 2018 by waste stream." Chart. May 25, 2018. Statista. Accessed November 23, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1192497/plastic-waste-share-by-waste-stream-worldwide/
UNEP. (2018). Distribution of plastic waste worldwide from 1950 to 2018 by waste stream. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 23, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1192497/plastic-waste-share-by-waste-stream-worldwide/
UNEP. "Distribution of Plastic Waste Worldwide from 1950 to 2018 by Waste Stream." Statista, Statista Inc., 25 May 2018, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1192497/plastic-waste-share-by-waste-stream-worldwide/
UNEP, Distribution of plastic waste worldwide from 1950 to 2018 by waste stream Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1192497/plastic-waste-share-by-waste-stream-worldwide/ (last visited November 23, 2024)
Distribution of plastic waste worldwide from 1950 to 2018 by waste stream [Graph], UNEP, May 25, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1192497/plastic-waste-share-by-waste-stream-worldwide/
