Sustainability Preventing Plastic Pollution with Partnership

The world has a plastic problem. Since the 1950s, the rate of plastic production has grown exponentially and faster than that of any other material. This is a trend with severe environmental consequences.

At present, according to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), approximately 300 million tonnes of plastic waste (an amount equivalent to the weight of the human population) are produced every year, with eight million tonnes finding its way into the world’s oceans. At this rate, by 2050, the ocean may contain more plastic than fish, by volume. Of all the plastic waste ever produced, only 9% has been recycled, 12% incinerated, meanwhile the remaining 79% has accumulated in landfills or the natural environment. Over time, these materials breakdown into microplastics that ease additional pollutants into our food chain, freshwater systems, and the air.

Read more on IISD's SDG Knowledge Hub >>