Global plastic use and waste projections scenarios 2060

The amount of plastic waste produced globally was estimated to be 353 million metric tons in 2019. Under current policies, this amount is projected to almost triple by 2060. Under the Regional Action plan scenario, the annual amount of plastic waste produced worldwide could fall to 837 million metric ton, while the Global Ambition scenario could potentially reduce plastic waste generation to less than 680 million metric tons. This could be achieved via several policies, including increased taxes on plastics use, and increasing the global recycling rate to 60 percent. This would see the amount of mismanaged plastic waste drop to roughly six million metric tons, compared with 153 million metric tons in the baseline scenario. The amount of plastic leakage into the environment would also be considerably reduced. In contrast, a business-as-usual approach would see the amount of plastic leakage climb to four million metric tons by 2060.