How much of the world’s plastic is recycled? Only a fraction

Today is Earth Day — and wouldn’t it be nice to celebrate with the first-ever global treaty to curb the world’s mounting plastic pollution problem?

That’s not a completely unrealistic outcome. Indeed, since its inception in 1970, Earth Day has grown into an international movement with the potential to seriously influence policy. This year’s theme is Planet vs. Plastics, and global leaders will convene in Canada later in the week to lay plans for what could be the most significant environmental deal since the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Much of the discussion will be focused not only on reducing plastic production, but improving how we dispose of existing plastics. The latest data from the OECD via Our World in Data shows that the majority of plastic waste is disposed into landfill, while just 9% is typically recycled.

Along with industrial emissions, one of the most harmful effects of the more than 430 million tonnes of plastic that humanity produces each year is its physical impact on aquatic environments. With debris choking waterways, fears that microplastics consumed by marine species are accumulating up the food chain and affecting humans are compounded by the estimation that, at the current rate, there will be more plastic in the oceans by weight than fish by 2050.