Information is Beautiful: Why plastic recycling does not work.

• Sources: Geyer at al, “Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made” (Sci Adv 2017)
• Credits: Research & design: David McCandless
• Data: View the data

Source: “Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made” Geyer et al., Sci Adv, 2017 (data) n.b. These numbers are from 2017. Humanity produces approx. 345 million tonnes of plastic a year. That means another ~1.7 billion tonnes since this study was released.

•  A few Beautiful News items about plastics
• CBS News – “The “chasing arrows” logo is universally recognized as a sign to recycle, but the Environmental Protection Agency is now saying it’s also universally confusing. In April, the agency recommended the Federal Trade Commission get rid of the chasing arrows recycling symbol for plastics, calling it “deceptive or misleading.” The proposed change comes amid a growing body of research that suggests that plastic recycling isn’t working and that most plastic is still ending up in landfills. As little as 5% of plastic is actually recycled, according to one recent study.”
• See also The Guardian: “Supermarket plastic bag charge has led to 98% drop in use in England, data shows. Ministers urged to learn from success of single-use bag fee, amid criticism that other measures have been delayed.”