Global plastic production 1950-2021

Published by Statista Research Department, Sep 20, 2023

According to the Statistica Research Department (2023), the

worldwide production of plastics reached a staggering 390.7
million metric tons in 2021. This marks a significant increase of
four percent from the previous year. Plastics production has
soared since 1950s. The incredible versatility of this group of
materials accounts for the continued growth in production year
after year. In tandem with that growth, the market value of
plastics also continues to grow.

In the Philippines, it was found that the number of plastic items

consumed by Filipinos was 2.15 million tonnes per annum. Thirty-
five percent (35%) of the consumed plastics leak into the open
environment, 33% are disposed of in sanitary landfills and open
dumpsites, and only 9% are recycled because of our lack of
capacity to recycle both high- and low-value plastics.

In 2018, the bioplastic production capacity was only 2.01 million

tons, which is 0.56% of the world's plastic production. However,
the bioplastics market rose rapidly due to increased demand
and in most countries and; implementation of strict regulations
for the use of bioplastics. Global bioplastic production capacity
was projected to grow from 2.41 million tons in 2021
to approximately 7.59 million tons in 2026,
surpassing bioplastics 2% of the world's plastic production
(European Bioplastics, 2018; Jogi & Bhat, 2020, as cited in
Thomas et al., 2023).

https://www.statista.com/topics/5266/plastics-industry/#topicOverview