Planet
How much plastic has humanity produced in total?
9.2 billion tonnes
How much plastic has humanity produced in total?
By 2023, humanity has produced an estimated 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic since production began in the 1950s. Only about 9% has been recycled; 12% incinerated; the remaining 79% is in landfills or the environment. More plastic was produced in the first decade of this century than in all of the 20th century combined.
Source: Geyer et al. (2017), Science Advances; OECD (2023)