Plastic waste management varies greatly by country and region. For example, the United States landfilled roughly 70 percent of its plastic waste in 2019, while just nine percent was collected for recycling. This is below the global average recycling rate of 15 percent. In comparison, OECD EU countries, China, India, and OECD Asian countries (Japan and South Korea) had above-average recycling rates in 2019.
Developing countries are also more likely to mismanage and litter a larger share of plastic waste than developed regions. India, for example, mismanaged and littered 43 percent of its plastic waste in 2019, compared to five percent in OECD EU countries.
Distribution of plastic waste management worldwide in 2019, by select region and country
Figures refer to treatment shares without accounting for recycling residues and litter-clean up.
Values for a country or region may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.
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OECD. (June 3, 2022). Distribution of plastic waste management worldwide in 2019, by select region and country [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1358416/global-plastic-waste-management-share-by-region-country/
OECD. "Distribution of plastic waste management worldwide in 2019, by select region and country." Chart. June 3, 2022. Statista. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1358416/global-plastic-waste-management-share-by-region-country/
OECD. (2022). Distribution of plastic waste management worldwide in 2019, by select region and country. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1358416/global-plastic-waste-management-share-by-region-country/
OECD. "Distribution of Plastic Waste Management Worldwide in 2019, by Select Region and Country." Statista, Statista Inc., 3 Jun 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1358416/global-plastic-waste-management-share-by-region-country/
OECD, Distribution of plastic waste management worldwide in 2019, by select region and country Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1358416/global-plastic-waste-management-share-by-region-country/ (last visited November 21, 2024)
Distribution of plastic waste management worldwide in 2019, by select region and country [Graph], OECD, June 3, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1358416/global-plastic-waste-management-share-by-region-country/
