Just 9.5% of plastic materials produced globally in 2022 were manufactured from recycled materials, a study has found.
Researchers from China’s Tsinghua University conducted an analysis of the global plastics sector, which also revealed a “large increase” in the amount of plastic being disposed of by incineration as well as substantial regional differences in plastic consumption.
Plastic production has increased from two million tonnes a year in 1950 to 400 million tonnes a year in 2022 and is projected to reach 800 million tonnes a year by 2050. The lack of proper recycling has meant that plastic pollution has become a pressing global issue, posing major challenges for the environment, economy and public health.
In 2021, the UK recycled roughly 44.4% of the 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste it generated, but a significant portion was exported to other countries for recycling because of insufficient domestic capacity. Green campaigners have also expressed doubts that exported plastic...