Plastic is a part of most people’s everyday lives. From bottles and bags to toys, chances are there are a lot of plastic items in your home. There are some plastic facts that you may not know about this material, particularly about how much of it is consumed and recycled. Keep reading to learn some shocking facts about plastic production.
5 Plastic Facts
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- 85% of plastic waste in the U.S. went to landfills in 2021. (source) Only five to six percent of plastic waste generated was actually recycled. The remaining 10 percent was incinerated.
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- The most commonly (and easily) recyclable plastic is #1. (source) Also known as polyethylene terephthalate or PETE, this is typically used for food and beverage containers and can be recycled into plastic bottles and carpeting.
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- Plastic trash in the ocean is expected to triple by 2040. (source) Unless drastic action is taken, the amount of plastic in the seas and oceans could climb to 29 million metric tons.
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- The world consumes 1 million plastic bottles every minute. (source) From bottled water and juice to soda bottles, that’s a lot of plastic!
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- Half of all plastic products produced are single-use products. (source) Sadly, at least half of all plastic products created around the world are designed to be used once and then thrown away.
