MOTHER NATURE Mother Nature September 2017 | Page 2

Humans have created 8.3 billion metric tonnes of plastics
Global production of plastics increased from 2 million metric tonnes in
1950 to over 400 million metric tonnes
Humans have created 8.3 billion metric tonnes of plastics since early 1950s, and most of it now
resides in landfills or the natural environment, a study has found.
Researchers, including those from the University of Georgia (UGA) in the US, found that by 2015,
humans had generated 8.3 billion metric tonnes of plastics, 6.3 billion tonnes of which had already
become waste. Of that total waste, only 9% was recycled, 12% was incinerated and 79% accumu-
lated in landfills or the natural environment.
Most plastics do not biodegrade in any meaningful sense, so the plastic waste humans have gener-
ated could be with us for hundreds or even thousands of years. Our estimates underscore the need to
think critically about the materials we use and our waste management practices.
Global production of plastics increased from 2 million metric tonnes in 1950 to over 400 metric
tonnes in 2015, according to the study published in the journal Science Advances, outgrowing
most other human-made materials. Notable exceptions are materials that are used extensively in the
construction sector, such as steel and cement. However, while steel and cement are used primarily
for construction, plastics’ largest market is packaging, and most of those products are used once
and discarded.
The pace of plastic production shows no signs of slowing. Of the total amount of plastics produced
from 1950 to 2015, roughly half was produced in just the last 13 years. A study published in the
journal Science in 2015, that calculated the magnitude of plastic waste going into the ocean. They
estimated that 8 million metric tonnes of plastic entered the oceans in 2010.
The world has become so ubiquitous that you can’t go anywhere without finding plastic waste in
our environment, including our oceans.
It is not possible to totally remove plastic from the market place, but rather need a more critical
examination of plastic use and its end-of-life value.
Edited by: Sri Swaminarayan. Circulation: Shiva Kumar. Designer: Srinivas. Content Editor: P.Shanker
Printed at : Disign Prints Jubilee hills, Hyderabd. Mother Nature Printed and Published by Dr kamala Raman on behalf of
Mother Nature Environment Society (Regd) 527, B Block , Silver Springs Apts , Chintal, Qutubullapur,
Hyderabad - 500054. Mobile:[phone]