This document discusses the growing problem of plastic pollution globally. It notes that over half of all plastic produced is single-use and outlines what happens to plastic waste: only 9% is recycled, 12% is incinerated, while 79% is dumped in landfills or the environment. This plastic pollution has dire consequences, with 100,000 marine animals killed by plastic annually. The document advocates reducing single-use plastic production and increasing reuse and recycling efforts to ultimately achieve the goal of having no plastic in the environment.

1. Towards a Plastics Free Environment
Meena A S

2. Plastics,
a Wonder
Product

3. Global plastic production, megatonnes, 1917 to 2017, https://www.darrinqualman.com
Global Plastic
Production

4. Source: Single-use Plastics, A Roadmap for Sustainability. UN Environment, 2018
Global Plastic Consumption Sector Wise

5. The Problem
More than half of
all plastic
produced is
designed to be
used only once
and then thrown
away.

6. What Happens to the plastic that is
thrown away?

7. 9%
Recycled
Photo: Randy Olson https://www.nationalgeographic.com/

8. 12%
Incinerated
https://www.planetaid.org/blog/incinerators-vs-the-environment

9. 79%
Dumped
http://escapadepr.com/

10. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/06/plastic-planet-waste-pollution-trash-crisis/
The Challenge of Recycling

11. Photo: David Liittschwager https://www.nationalgeographic.com/
Microplastics
Any type of
plastic fragment
that is less than 5
mm (NOAA)

12. Plastic waste near Dharavi Pipe, Mumbai, www.flickr.com

13. 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic annually

16. https://www.earthday.org/fact-sheet-plastics-in-the-ocean/ https://www.ecowatch.com/
Did you Know?

17. Goal should be…
NO Plastics in the Environment

18. REDUCE
Image: Centre for Environment Education

19. REUSE
Image: Centre for Environment Education

20. RECYCLE
Image: Centre for Environment Education