Det anslås at der i alt er produceret 8.300 millioner ton plastik indtil nu (2017), hvoraf langt størstedelen er endt som affald.<ref>[https://www.sciencealert.com/this-is-everything-you-need-to-know-about-plastic-polymers-fibers-polyolefins-pvc Everything You Didn't Know You Needed to Know About Plastics. ScienceAlert 2018]</ref><ref name="xx">[http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/7/e1700782.full Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made. Science Advances 2017]</ref> Den globale plastproduktion i 2018 var på 360 millioner tons, deraf 62 millioner tons i Europa.<ref>[https://pr.euractiv.com/pr/k-2019-plasticseurope-unveils-updated-plastics-data-and-voluntary-commitment-progress-195488 K 2019: PlasticsEurope unveils updated plastics data and Voluntary Commitment progress. Plastics Europe 2019]</ref> Det anslås også at der i 2050 vil være mere [[plastaffald]] i havene end fisk (baseret på meget usikre tal).<ref>[http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_New_Plastics_Economy.pdf Rethinking the future of plastics. World Economic Forum]</ref><ref>[https://www.sciencealert.com/the-amount-of-human-made-material-on-earth-has-just-crossed-a-shocking-line Human-Made Stuff Doubles in Mass Every 20 Years. It Just Crossed a Disturbing Line. ScienceAlert 2020]</ref>
Kemi Videnskab Naturvidenskab