Global plastics recycling rates remain stagnant, and even when plastics are collected to be re-used, much still ends up being incinerated or sent to landfill.
Plastics are one of the fundamental building blocks of the modern world, with global production growing from just two million tonnes (Mt) of plastics in 1950 to 400 Mt in 2022, and demand projected to double by 2050. But plastic pollution is also a growing global issue with significant environmental, economic, and public health costs.
Now researchers at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China have used data from national statistics, industry reports, and international databases to produce a detailed overview of plastic production, use, and disposal for 2022. “Uncovering the complex plastic supply chain is crucial for reducing pollution and promoting sustainable plastic management,” they said.
The researchers found that of the 400 Mt of plastics produced in 2022, around 362 Mt was produced as plastic virgin resin production and just 38 Mt generated via plastic mechanical recycling.
Total plastic waste generated in 2022 amounted to 267.68 Mt, of which 75 Mt was sorted and collected for mechanical recycling. But only half of that - 37.96 Mt – was actually recycled, accounting for just 9% of the primary production, with 41% being incinerated, and the rest going to landfill.
One major issue for recycling is the range and complexity of plastic materials, which include various types and grades as well as additives, plus other contaminants which creates problems in recycling facilities.
Economics also plays a big role; the costs of virgin plastic are often more favourable than for recycled plastic mainly due to fluctuating oil prices, and this is something which also discourages investment in recycling infrastructure and technology, the report said.
There are also significant variations in global plastic waste management practices because of cost, regulation, technology and cultural attitudes towards waste, the researchers noted. In high-income countries, sophisticated systems are often in place; in contrast, many developing regions struggle with limited infrastructure, leading to higher rates of improper disposal and environmental leakage. Use of incineration method to dealing with plastic waste is increasing and now accounts for 34% of global plastic waste treatment, alongside a what the researchers called a “notable decline” in plastic landfill disposal, which is currently the final destination for 40% of plastic waste.
The total percentage of global plastic waste sent to landfill in 2022 is significantly lower than the estimated 79% of all global plastic waste sent to landfill between 1950 and 2015.
Dealing with plastic waste creates its own dilemmas; reducing the amount of space used by landfill is priority for some, but incinerating waste can be used to generate energy is also risks releasing the carbon stored in the plastics back into the atmosphere.
The researchers also found the vast majority (98%) of the virgin plastics produced in 2022 was generated from fossil-fuel based feedstocks, with 44% from coal, 40% from petroleum, 8% from natural gas, 5% from coke. Only 2% of the global plastics feedstocks were generated from bio sources, according the report published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. Packaging was the largest single market for that plastic, using 158 Mt, with 72 Mt being used in building and construction, 32 Mt in automotive, 28 Mt in electrical and electronics, 28 Mt in household and textile and 16 Mt in agriculture.
The researchers said their study demonstrated that little progress has been made in reducing industry’s reliance on fossil-fuel feedstocks for plastic production, and they warned that this will compromise global efforts to mitigate climate change.
Plastics do have many benefits – for example using plastics can result in lower greenhouse gas emissions throughout their life cycle compared to alternative materials like metals or glass, the researchers noted. And switching to bioplastics creates its own set of challenges, including the emissions generated during production, environmental impacts such as land use and eutrophication, and competition with food production.
“This paradox amplifies the dilemma: while plastics contribute to fossil fuel dependence and pervasive pollution issues, they simultaneously provide environmental benefits in terms of reduced emissions and energy efficiency. The lack of viable alternatives to plastics that can be implemented on a global scale presents a significant challenge in the quest for sustainable solutions,” the researchers said.
“Given this paradox and the limited sustainable substitution options at a large scale, implementing circular economy principles and reducing plastic flows emerges as a crucial solution,” they added. Focusing on recycling, reuse, and redesigning products can help reduce the environmental impact of plastics, while the researchers said tackling the consumption of fossil feedstocks for the chemical industry will require a shift from fossil fuel feedstocks to biogenic and recycled feedstocks - along with the implementation of carbon capture and sequestration technologies and the decarbonization of energy supply used for chemical and plastic products.
China was the largest producer of plastics, account for 32%, followed by other Asian countries (15%), USA (14%), EU28 (14%), Middle East (5%), India (5%), Africa (4%), Japan (3%), and the rest of the world (8%). Polyethylene is the most commonly produced polymer, accounting of 26% of the global production followed by Polypropylene (19%), PVC (13%), PET (2%), Polyurethane (5%) and polystyrene (5%).
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