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SCIENCE

The Claim

The world produces 355 million tonnes of plastic waste annually.

Verified by Lenz ·

The Short Version

The claim is directionally accurate but slightly over-precise. The strongest published estimate in the cited evidence is 353 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2019, and other reputable sources summarize the global total as about 350–360 million tonnes per year. Using 355 million tonnes is a reasonable approximation, but stating it as an exact, year-independent annual fact overstates the precision of the evidence.

Caveats

  • The best-supported figure in the cited evidence is 353 million tonnes for 2019, not an exact standing value of 355 every year.
  • The wording "annually" implies a general current rate, but the strongest underlying estimate is tied to a specific year and later summaries are approximate.
  • Do not confuse plastic production totals above 400 million tonnes with plastic waste totals; they measure different things.

The Receipts

  1. Convention on Plastic Pollution

    UNEP

  2. Plastic pollution | UNEP - UN Environment Programme

    UNEP

  3. Taking on plastic pollution | UNEP Annual Report

    UNEP

  4. Each year, over 430 million tonnes of plastic is produced, with two-thirds of it ending up as waste.

    UNEP

  5. World Environment Day - the United Nations

    United Nations

  6. Plastic Pollution | Our World in Data

    Our World in Data

  7. Plastic waste worldwide - statistics & facts

    Statista

  8. Global plastic waste set to almost triple by 2060, says OECD

    OECD

  9. Global Plastics Outlook

    Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

  10. Global plastics production | Our World in Data

    Our World in Data

+ 19 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

Earth

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