A new report says we have produced more plastic waste than ever before despite some governments enacting single-use plastic bans.
– We’re producing record amounts of waste from single-use plastics, according to a new report.that the world generated 139 million metric tons of single-use plastic waste in 2021.
The amount is 6 million metric tons more than what was produced in 2019, the first year the index was released. This equates to every person in the world producing more than two pounds of additional waste in the past two years. In recent years, governments worldwide have enacted bans to help curb the use of single-use plastic products, such as straws, food containers, disposable utensils and balloons.
However, the report said the bans are not enough to handle the amount of plastic still being produced, which means products are more likely to end up in landfills, rivers, oceans and on beaches as opposed to recycling plants.