Fact Sheet: How Much Disposable Plastic We Use

END PLASTIC POLLUTION

Fact Sheet: How Much Disposable Plastic We Use

The billions upon billions of items of plastic waste choking our oceans, lakes, and rivers and piling up on land are more than unsightly and harmful to plants and wildlife. The following 8 facts shed light on how plastic is proving dangerous to our planet, health, and wildlife. To learn more about the threat and impact of plastic pollution and get tips to reduce your plastic consumption, download our Plastic Pollution Primer and Toolkit  and use our Plastic Pollution Calculator today!

1. Global plastics has reached an estimated 460 million metric tons in recent years Global plastic packaging industry – statistics & facts | Statista
2. It is estimated that 75 to 199 million tons of plastic are currently in our oceans Visual Feature | Beat Plastic Pollution
3. One million plastic bottles are purchased every minute worldwide, while up to five trillion plastic bags are used a year Visual Feature | Beat Plastic Pollution
4. An estimated 9.7 billion cigarette butts are littered in the U.S. every year, 4 billion of these in waterways. They comprise nearly 20% of all litter. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9265565/