Our concern !
Since 1950, global plastic production has been steadily increasing. It reached a record level of 320 million tonnes in 2015, equivalent to 10.1 tonnes per second, consuming about 8% of world oil production.
In just 65 years, man has produced 9 billion tonnes of plastic, according to a UN report. If nothing changes, there will be around 12 billion tonnes of plastic waste in landfills and the environment by 2050, states the report.
Only 9% of plastic is recycled. Just over 12% was incinerated. The vast majority of the plastic produced thus ends its life in landfills, oceans or pipes.
If plastic consumption continues at the same rate, the ocean is expected to contain 1 tonne of plastic for every 3 tonnes of fish in 2025 and 2050, more plastic than fish, in terms of weight.
Moreover, in 1997, we have discovered the existence of a "seventh continent". Its area is 3.5 million km2 (1/3 of Europe, 6 times France & 120 times Belgium) We estimate that 267 marine species are highly affected by the waste.
Today, the contents of a garbage truck thrown into the ocean every minute. And if no action is taken to combat this scourge, it will be the equivalent of two garbage trucks thrown into the ocean every minute in 2030 and four in 2050,' the researchers say.