Global plastic production reaches 400 million tons annually, with 90% never recycled

CU Boulder Today reports on global plastic production statistics and recycling rates. The article features commentary from Phaedra Pezzullo, an associate professor at the University of Colorado Boulder who studies plastic pollution.

Every year, the world produces nearly 400 million tons of plastic, a 19,000% increase from 1950. The amount is forecast to double by 2050 and 90% is never recycled.

Source: CU Boulder Today, 2024. Quoted verbatim; read the full piece and judge it yourself.