Plastics decompose very slowly, creating a major long-term environmental impact Plastics Production
Million Tonnes 300
130%
+
since 1992
250
200
150
100
Source: EuroPlastics
1992
1997
2002
2007
2010
The amount of plastics* produced globally grew steadily from 116 million tonnes in 1992 to around 255 million tonnes in 2007, when the economic crisis led to a drop. But in 2010, a new record value of 265 million tonnes had already been reached. This total increase of 149 million tonnes in eighteen years equals a growth of around 130%, or 15% annually. The average use of plastic in developed regions reached around 100 kg per year per capita in 2005, whereas consumption in developing regions is only around 20 kg, with rapid increases foreseen in the next decade (UNEP 2011c). About 50% of plastic is used for single-use disposable applications, such as packaging, agricultural films and disposable consumer items (Hopewell and others 2009). Plastics debris in the ocean has become particularly notorious in recent years. Concentrated along shorelines or in huge, swirling open-sea gyres, such material threatens the lives of many marine organisms, especially seabirds and small mammals (UNEP 2011c). *not including Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polyamide (PA) and polyacryl fibres 50