Global Plastic Waste Management: Only 9.29% Recycled Worldwide in 2019
The next time you hold a plastic item, remember that where it ends up can affect your health and that of your loved ones.
The 2019 global data reveals only 9.3% of plastic waste actually gets recycled. The majority follow these paths:
- 49.2% goes to landfills, where it remains for centuries
- 22.5% is mismanaged through ocean dumping, open burning, or unsafe disposal
- 19.0% is incinerated for energy recovery
Nearly three-quarters of plastic waste either sits in landfills or is handled in ways that directly harm the environment. The mismanaged portion—over one-fifth of all plastic waste—contaminates marine ecosystems and breaks down into microplastics that enter our food chain.
Scientists have found microplastics in human blood, lungs, and placentas. These particles carry chemicals that can disrupt hormones and affect immune function, making plastic pollution both an environmental and a human health crisis.
The data shows recycling alone won't solve this crisis. Every plastic item you avoid using is one less piece adding to the 90% that doesn't get properly recycled.