Majority Would Back a Ban on Single-Use Plastics

July 3 is the International Day Against Single Use Plastics, first observed by Zero Waste Europe, an environmentalist collective, in 2009. Plastics are not only harmful to the environment, killing wildlife and accumulating in rivers, deltas and landfill sites, but they are hazardous to humans too, with research showing how broken down microplastics are now routinely found in people’s bloodstream. 

The following infographic highlights how widespread awareness now is around the ill effects of single-use plastic, found in items such as shopping bags, cutlery, and disposable cups and plates. In an Ipsos survey of more than 24,000 respondents in 32 different countries around the world, as many as 85 percent of respondents agreed that there should be a ban on unnecessary single-use plastics. Indonesia (97 percent), Mexico (94 percent) and Uganda (93 percent) were just some of the countries with the highest share of supporters for implementing such restrictions, while the share of support was lower in India (76 percent), the United States (73 percent) and Japan (60 percent).

The survey also addressed the importance of reducing plastic production worldwide. On average, 87 percent of respondents said that they believe it is essential, very important or quite important to have an international agreement that focuses on reducing the production of this material.