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The world's plastic pollution crisis, explained. Much of the planet is swimming in discarded plastic, which is harming animal and possibly human health. Can it be cleaned up?
Plastic pollution, harmful accumulation of synthetic plastic products in the environment. Plastics are persistent large-scale pollutants, and plastic debris (such as bottles, straws, containers, and plastic wrap) and particulates have been found in many environmental niches, from Mount Everest to the bottom of the sea.
Read our explainer to find out more about the plastic pollution crisis: Why is plastic pollution such a problem? Affordable, durable and flexible, plastic pervades modern life, appearing in everything from packaging to clothes to beauty products.
Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles (e.g. plastic bottles, bags and microbeads) in the Earth's environment that adversely affects humans, wildlife and their habitat.
Key Insights on Plastic Pollution. Plastic production has more than doubled in the last two decades. Around 0.5% of plastic waste ends up in the ocean. Most ocean plastics today come from middle-income countries. Only a small share of plastic gets recycled. Better waste management is key to ending plastic pollution.
Plastic pollution has become ubiquitous in natural and built environments, raising concerns about potential harm to humans and nature alike. Once in the environment, research shows that plastic pollution is persistent and may take between 100 to 1,000 years or more to decompose, depending on environmental conditions.
Plastic pollution can alter habitats and natural processes, reducing ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change, directly affecting millions of people’s livelihoods, food production capabilities and social well-being.
Fast Facts – What is Plastic Pollution? On average, the world is producing 430 million tonnes of plastic per year – two thirds of which are only used for a short period of time.
Plastic pollution affects all land, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. It is a major driver of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation and contributes to climate change.
We are here because we know the obvious. Plastic pollution is everywhere — all around us and even inside us — from our seas to our blood, to our brains. We are choking on plastic. Every year, people may ingest the equivalent of up to 50 plastic bags due to microplastics in food. Each year, humanity produces over 460 million metric tons of ...