Landfilling is expected to be the main form of waste management worldwide over the coming four decades, with the amount of waste disposed at landfill sites rising from from 174 million metric tons in 2019 to more than half a billion metric tons by 2060. Meanwhile, the amount of plastic waste recycled is set to reach 176 million metric tons by 2060, accounting for some 17 percent of global waste management that year.
Projected plastic waste generation worldwide from 2019 to 2060, by management method
(in million metric tons)
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OECD. (June 3, 2022). Projected plastic waste generation worldwide from 2019 to 2060, by management method (in million metric tons) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved February 16, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1338817/global-plastic-waste-outlook-by-disposal-method/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
OECD. "Projected plastic waste generation worldwide from 2019 to 2060, by management method (in million metric tons)." Chart. June 3, 2022. Statista. Accessed February 16, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1338817/global-plastic-waste-outlook-by-disposal-method/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
OECD. (2022). Projected plastic waste generation worldwide from 2019 to 2060, by management method (in million metric tons). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: February 16, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1338817/global-plastic-waste-outlook-by-disposal-method/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
OECD. "Projected Plastic Waste Generation Worldwide from 2019 to 2060, by Management Method (in Million Metric Tons)." Statista, Statista Inc., 3 Jun 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1338817/global-plastic-waste-outlook-by-disposal-method/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed
OECD, Projected plastic waste generation worldwide from 2019 to 2060, by management method (in million metric tons) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1338817/global-plastic-waste-outlook-by-disposal-method/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed (last visited February 16, 2025)
Projected plastic waste generation worldwide from 2019 to 2060, by management method (in million metric tons) [Graph], OECD, June 3, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1338817/global-plastic-waste-outlook-by-disposal-method/?__sso_cookie_checker=failed