Bruna Alves
Research lead covering environment and sustainability
Plastic waste in the U.S. - statistics & facts
The U.S. has a big plastic problem. Global plastic production has soared in the past half of century since it became commercially produced and is now ubiquitous in daily life. This growth has seen plastic waste become one of the biggest environmental issues worldwide, polluting land, oceans, air, and even food and human blood. As one of the world’s largest consumers of plastics, with plastics use in the U.S. more than tripling since the 1980s, the North American country is a major contributor to the growing global plastic waste problem.
How much plastic waste does the U.S. produce?
In 2019, U.S. plastic waste generation was estimated at 73 million metric tons, corresponding to more than 220 kilograms per inhabitant. This was roughly five times more than the global average per capita plastic waste generation. With plastics demand showing little signs of slowing down, U.S. plastic waste generation is projected to surpass 140 million metric tons by 2060. Plastics account for roughly 12 percent of U.S. municipal solid waste generation, with plastic containers and packaging the main source of plastic waste.The majority of U.S. plastic waste is landfilled
Of the 40 million tons of municipal plastic waste estimated to be generated in the U.S. in 2021, at least 80 percent was expected to be sent to landfill sites. Meanwhile, the domestic plastic recycling rate has mostly stagnated. Although U.S. municipal plastic waste generation has increased five-fold since 1980, the country does not have the capacity to recycle all its waste domestically. As such, the U.S. exports large volumes of plastic waste every year to countries around the world, with North American neighbors Canada and Mexico ranking as the main destinations. U.S. plastic waste exports have fallen considerably in recent years since China restricted foreign waste imports, leading many other Asian countries to follow suit. This has put further strain on the already struggling U.S. recycling system.Negative impacts of plastic waste
Plastic waste has numerous negative environmental and health impacts, though the most concerning to Americans is its impact on marine life. Large amounts of plastic waste leak into the ocean every year, contributing to the death of thousands of sea mammals and fish. Plastic pollution ending up in the oceans is also the main cause of frustration with the U.S. recycling system. Some of the most common plastic waste items found along beaches in the U.S. include cigarette butts, plastic bottle caps, and food wrappers.
