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Plastic pollution by country: latest statistics and insights

Written by

Shahira Mohamed

on

4 minutes to read

Aerial view of a landfill fire, with smoke billowing from piles of trash.
Photo by collab_media on Envato

Plastic pollution remains a major environmental challenge worldwide, with countries contributing at vastly different levels. Understanding the latest statistics on plastic production and waste management is essential to creating effective, region-specific solutions.

Global plastic production and waste generation

As of 2025, global thermoplastics production is projected to reach approximately 445 million metric tonnes, a steady rise driven by increasing demand across industries¹. This surge has led directly to more plastic waste, especially from packaging, which alone accounts for over 140 million metric tonnes annually².

Plastic waste by country

Plastic waste output varies significantly by country:

  • United States: The U.S. produces over 42 million metric tonnes of plastic waste each year, the highest total globally³.
  • India: Generates about 10.2 million tonnes, with large urban centres like Mumbai and Delhi facing severe waste management challenges⁴.
  • China: While ranking among the top plastic producers, estimates of China’s annual plastic waste vary, with figures ranging from over 26 million tons to about 60 million tons⁵. The discrepancy in these estimates may be due to differences in data collection methods, definitions of plastic waste, and the inclusion of imported plastic waste. 
  • United Kingdom: Though better at waste management, the UK still struggles with single-use plastics, with a 9.5% increase in beach plastic waste recorded last year⁶.
  • Europe (regional overview): In 2023, Europe produced 54 million metric tonnes of plastic, representing 12% of global production⁷. This is a decline from 64.4 million tonnes in 20178. Germany leads as the largest producer in the region, accounting for nearly 25% of plastic converter demand 9. While specific data on the total amount of plastic waste recycled across all categories in the EU is limited, estimates indicate that approximately 30 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated annually, with around 39% of discarded plastic packaging being recycled10.
Plastic pollution overwhelms the ocean, a stark contrast to the natural beauty.
Photo by naja_bertolt_jensen on Unsplash

Mismanaged plastic waste and environmental impact

A key issue isn’t just how much plastic waste is produced—but how much of it is mismanaged. Mismanaged waste refers to plastic that is improperly collected or disposed of, often ending up in nature. Countries like Nigeria (87.5%), India (68.6%), and Indonesia (43.8%) have some of the highest rates of mismanaged waste, while wealthier countries such as the U.S. (5.1%) and UK (6%) perform better, though still not ideally 11.

This imbalance underscores how economic disparities influence environmental outcomes. Many developing nations lack the infrastructure to properly collect, sort, or recycle plastic, resulting in widespread dumping into the environment.

Where global policy stands in 2025

Hopes were high that a United Nations global plastics treaty would be finalized by the end of 2024. However, negotiations stalled due to resistance—especially from oil-producing countries—over proposed limits on plastic production12. Talks are set to resume in Geneva in August 2025. Until a binding global agreement is reached, much of the progress will depend on local action and community-led solutions.

Plastic Bank: turning waste into worth

Empowering individuals: A Plastic Bank collector proudly displays a plastic bottle.
Plastic Bank Collection Member in Egypt

Waiting for governments to implement policies or corporations to take action does not solve the plastic crisis, given the alarming rates at which plastic pollution is increasing.

Solutions like Plastic Bank’s are already making a measurable impact today. As a social enterprise, Plastic Bank empowers collection communities most affected by plastic waste. Operating in countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Egypt, Brazil, Thailand, and Cameroon, Plastic Bank’s community members can exchange collected plastic for money, social benefits, and essential goods.

Since the launch of Plastic Bank, its communities have helped prevent hundreds of millions of plastic bottles’ worth of waste from polluting the environment. It’s a model that connects waste recovery with poverty reduction, demonstrating that environmental action and social empowerment can go hand in hand.Join the movement: https://staging.plasticbank.com/pricing/

  1. Statista Research Department, “Global plastics production forecast 2025-2050,” Statista, January 10, 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/664906/plastics-production-volume-forecast-worldwide/
  2. “Global Plastic Waste Generation by Source 2025,” Worldostats, https://worldostats.com/global-plastic-waste-generation-by-source-2025/
  3. “Plastic Waste Statistics,” The Roundup, accessed March 2025, https://theroundup.org/plastic-waste-statistics/ 
  4. “Microplastics Are a ‘Big Time Bomb,’” People, September 5, 2024, https://people.com/microplastics-are-a-big-time-bomb-says-researcher-8706639 
  5. Jinhui Li et al., “China’s roadmap to plastic waste management and associated economic costs,” ResearchGate, February 2022, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358722849_China%27s_roadmap_to_plastic_waste_management_and_associated_economic_costs
  6. Matthew Taylor, “Single-use plastic waste on UK beaches up 9.5%,” The Guardian, March 19, 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/19/single-use-plastic-waste-on-uk-and-channel-island-beaches-up-by-95-last-year
  7. Euractiv, “Plastics: the fast facts 2024,” Euractiv, February 12, 2024, https://www.euractiv.com/section/eet/infographic/plastics-the-fast-facts-2024/ 
  8. Statista Research Department, “Plastic production volume in the EU 2009–2023,” Statista, April 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/987838/plastics-production-volume-in-the-eu-28/ 
  9. Statista Research Department, “Plastic converter demand in Europe by country 2023,” Statista, April 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1315186/europe-plastic-converter-demand-by-country/ 
  10. Nikolaus J. Kurmayer, “In numbers: Europe’s mounting plastic waste problem unpacked,” Investigate Europe, January 11, 2024, https://www.investigate-europe.eu/posts/in-numbers-europes-mounting-plastic-waste-problem-unpacked
  11. “Plastic Pollution by Country 2025,” World Population Review, https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/plastic-pollution-by-country
  12. Associated Press, “Plastic pollution treaty talks end without agreement,” AP News, December 1, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/631960e4375aeec46517133348635a7d 

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Spread love, not waste, this Valentine’s day

Celebrate love sustainably this Valentine’s Day! Swap wasteful gifts for eco-friendly, DIY, and experience-based alternatives. Choose ethical chocolates, zero-waste wrapping, and green date nights. Show love for your partner and the planet by making conscious choices. Join Plastic Bank in reducing plastic waste and creating a sustainable future. Spread love, not waste!

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