We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to Projections of plastic leakage to the environment to 2060
ClearMicroplastics Pollution
This review addresses the exponential surge in global plastic production since the 1950s and the resulting widespread environmental contamination, projecting that annual production will reach record levels by 2050 without intervention. The authors assess the threats to ecosystems, wildlife, and human health and evaluate the urgency of transitioning away from current plastic production and waste management systems.
Delineating and preventing plastic waste leakage in the marine and terrestrial environment
Researchers outline the global challenge of plastic waste leaking into marine and land environments, tracing the problem to poor waste management, limited recycling technology, and low public awareness. The commentary calls for upstream design changes and downstream cleanup strategies to reduce plastic litter worldwide.
Marine ecosystems and emerging plastic pollution
This review examines marine plastic pollution as an emerging ecosystem threat, contextualising the problem within global waste generation projections that estimate municipal solid waste will reach 3.40 billion tonnes by 2050, and discussing pathways by which littered and improperly disposed plastics enter marine environments.
Future scenarios of global plastic waste generation and disposal
Researchers projected global mismanaged plastic waste (plastic that ends up in the environment rather than being properly collected) through 2060, estimating it could triple from roughly 60–99 million tonnes in 2015 to 155–265 million tonnes annually — with African and Asian countries bearing a disproportionate share. Rivers were identified as the dominant pathway carrying 91% of land-based plastic waste to the ocean.
Global environmental plastics dispersal under OECD policy scenarios towards 2060
Researchers modeled how global plastic pollution would spread through the environment under different policy scenarios developed by the OECD, looking ahead to 2060. They found that even with ambitious policy action, significant amounts of plastic will continue leaking into aquatic environments unless waste management improves dramatically worldwide. The study suggests that coordinated global policies targeting both plastic production and waste management are essential to curb environmental plastic pollution.
The present and future of microplastic pollution in the marine environment
This review assessed the current and projected state of microplastic pollution in the marine environment, examining evidence on sources, accumulation trends, and biological effects and arguing that the problem will worsen without significant intervention.
Plastic waste: impact on the planet’s ecosystem
This review covers the trajectory of global plastic production from 1.5 million tonnes in 1950 to over 335 million tonnes in 2016 and examines the ecological consequences of plastic waste entering the environment. The paper highlights microplastics as an escalating threat to marine and terrestrial ecosystems, with toxicological effects documented across species.
The Current Situation and Future of Marine Microplastics: A Comprehensive Review
This comprehensive review covers the origins, environmental distribution, ecological impacts, and future trajectories of marine microplastic pollution, noting that concentrations in some regions are projected to double by 2030. It evaluates current cleanup and mitigation efforts and identifies priority research directions.
Plastic Waste: Current Environmental Pollution, Health Hazard and Biodegradation Strategies and Its Management
This review paper surveys the scope of global plastic pollution, covering environmental contamination, health hazards, and biodegradation strategies. The study highlights that with plastic production exceeding 390 million tons by 2021, effective waste management and biodegradation approaches are urgently needed to address microplastic accumulation.
Pervasive Pollution Problems Caused by Plastics and its Degradation
This review discusses the pervasive environmental pollution caused by plastics and their degradation products, arguing that plastic contamination now affects air, water, food, and all living organisms and requires urgent global action to reduce production and improve waste management.
Prediction of What Would Occur if Plastic Pollution Continues and Strategies for Reducing It
This paper reviews current plastic pollution levels, predicts future outcomes if current trends continue, and evaluates strategies for reducing plastic waste. If production and disposal patterns don't change, plastics could outweigh fish in the ocean by 2050, making the human health implications of microplastics increasingly severe.
Current practices of plastic waste management, environmental impacts, and potential alternatives for reducing pollution and improving management
Researchers analyzed global plastic waste generation, management practices, and environmental impacts, warning that plastic production could exceed 650 million tons by 2050 — a more than 22,000% increase since 1950. The study highlights alternatives such as bioplastics, glass, and bamboo, along with waste-to-energy conversion, as promising paths toward reducing plastic pollution's serious health and environmental harms.
Global Plastics Outlook: Plastic leakage to the environment - projections (Edition 2022)
This dataset presents OECD projections for global plastic leakage into the environment from 2019 to 2060 under baseline and policy scenarios, covering both microplastics and macroplastics. The projections show that without strong policy action, the amount of plastic entering environments where it fragments into microplastics will continue to grow substantially.
Plastic Pollution and its Impact on Environment
This overview of plastic pollution from 1950 to 2021 estimates that approximately 6.3 billion tons of plastics have been produced globally, with only 9% recycled, while continued population growth and consumption drive mounting environmental accumulation. The study links plastic pollution trajectories to public health, ecosystem, and regulatory challenges.
Single-use plastic in Brazil: context and environmental impacts
This book volume presents the Brazilian and global context of single-use plastic production, consumption, and environmental impacts, serving as an educational resource for the broader public. It documents that plastic production is predicted to triple by 2050 without significant policy intervention, driving continued microplastic contamination globally.
Emerging microplastic contamination in ecosystem: An urge for environmental sustainability
This review summarized the sources, environmental distribution, and ecological effects of microplastics, emphasizing the exponential increase in plastic production and waste mismanagement driving MP accumulation across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The authors called for urgent policy measures to reduce single-use plastic production and improve waste infrastructure globally.
The crucial role of circular waste management systems in cutting waste leakage into aquatic environments
Researchers combined spatial modeling with global population and development projections to show that 70% of future plastic waste leaking into waterways will come from China, South Asia, Africa, and India, and that even aggressive circular economy strategies cannot fully eliminate this leakage before 2030. The findings underscore that preventing plastic from entering the waste stream — not just cleaning it up — is the most effective intervention.
Evaluating scenarios toward zero plastic pollution
Researchers modeled five different intervention scenarios for reducing global plastic pollution between 2016 and 2040 and found that even implementing all feasible solutions would only cut pollution rates by 40% compared to 2016 levels. Under a business-as-usual scenario, 710 million metric tons of plastic waste would still accumulate in ecosystems even with immediate action. The study makes clear that coordinated global efforts across consumption reduction, recycling, waste collection, and innovation are urgently needed.
Micro plastics in soil ecosystem - A review of sources, fate, and ecological impact
This review covers sources, fate, and ecological impacts of microplastics in soil ecosystems, finding that global plastic production has increased from 1.7 million tonnes in 1950 to over 320 million tonnes annually, with microplastics now detected in soils across all land use types.
Plastics in the global environment assessed through material flow analysis, degradation and environmental transportation
Researchers conducted a global mass flow analysis of plastic emissions across all countries, tracking 8 polymer types across 10 sectors into 7 environmental compartments. The study estimated that 0.8 million tonnes of microplastics and 8.7 million tonnes of macroplastics entered the environment in 2017, with tire wear being the largest source of microplastic emissions. Modeling predicts that even with zero plastic production after 2022, approximately 2.15 gigatonnes of plastics would still accumulate in the environment by 2050 due to landfill leakage and degradation.