Improving the management of plastic waste across the world – especially in poorer countries, where most of the ocean plastics come from – is therefore critical to tackling this problem. On this page, you can find all of our data, visualizations, and writing on plastic pollution.

Oct 24, 2022 · Unwanted used plastic sits outside Garten Services, a recycling facility in Oregon. The vast majority of plastic that people use, and in many cases put into blue recycling bins, is headed...

Jun 7, 2019 · Plastic pollution is most visible in developing Asian and African nations, where garbage collection systems are often inefficient or nonexistent. But the developed world, especially in...

As landfilling is a common method for utilizing plastic waste at its end-of-life, it is important to present knowledge about the environmental and technical complications encountered during plastic disposal, and the formation and spread of ...

Apr 23, 2024 · 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.

May 9, 2022 · Of the 40 million tons of plastic waste generated in the United States last year, only five to six percent—or about two million tons—was recycled, according to a new report, conducted by the...

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. [1][2] Plastics that act as pollutants are categorized by size into micro-, meso-, or macro debris. [3] .

Apr 25, 2023 · Overall, 46 per cent of plastic waste is landfilled, while 22 per cent is mismanaged and becomes litter. Unlike other materials, plastic does not biodegrade. This pollution chokes marine wildlife, damages soil and poisons groundwater, and can cause serious health impacts. Is pollution the only problem with plastic?

Mar 20, 2025 · 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.

Aug 21, 2019 · Dozens of cities throughout the U.S. have banned plastic foam. Just this year, Maine and Maryland passed statewide bans of polystyrene food containers. Some communities, however, have drop-off...