India and China Spearhead Modest Gains in Plastic Recycling

Plastics production doubled from 234 million tonnes in 2000 to 460 million tonnes in 2019, according to the OECD. Despite growing awareness, this figure is projected to rise to 736 million tonnes by 2040. As the sheer volume of plastic waste continues to rise, it’s filling up rivers, the seas and landfill, finding its way into drinking water and the food chain, which in turn is posing threats to the environment and human health.

Global recycling efforts have made strides since 2000. OECD data, published by Our World in Data, shows that while there’s major work to be done, the share of recycled plastic waste worldwide increased from 3.7 percent at the turn of the century to 9.3 percent by 2019. India and China stand out for the progress they have made since 2000, when they already stood above the global average for their share of recycling. By 2019, 13.3 percent of plastic waste was recycled in India and 12.8 percent was in China. OECD countries in Europe also performed well compared to other regions, at 12.4 percent in 2019. As this chart shows, the United States trailed behind with only 4.5 percent of the country’s plastic waste having been recycled.