A whopping 91% of plastic isn’t recycled | National Geographic

Source: A whopping 91% of plastic isn’t recycled | National Geographic, by Laura Parker

Mass production of plastics, which began just six decades ago, has accelerated so rapidly that it has created 8.3 billion metric tons

Plastic takes more than 400 years to degrade, so most of it still exists in some form. Only 12 percent has been incinerated.

6.3 billion metric tons has become plastic waste. Of that, only nine percent has been recycled.