It is estimated that greenhouse gas emissions from plastics will reach 1.34 gigatons per year by 2030 and 2.8 gigatons per year by 2050.

That’s 3.54 billion metric tons of plastics by 2030, and 6.22 billion metric tons of plastic by 2050. 

Plastic debris consists of microplastics

Since there are over 5000 kinds of plastic currently being utilized, the number of chemicals being used to create the varying plastics is only larger.

Microplastics express a detrimental toxicological effect on organisms, both marine and mammal. Inhalation of microplastics causes lung disease in humans, similar to the accumulation, obstruction, and inflammation in organs of marine life. 

  • More than 4.5 trillion face masks were used in 2020

  • 65 billion single-use gloves have been disposed of monthly throughout the pandemic.

  • 1.56 million face masks entered the ocean in 2020

The pandemic has created over 8 million tons of global plastic waste. 

More than 140 million test kits have been shipped globaly, creating a potential 2,600 tons of mostly plastic waste

8 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide, producing 144,000 tons of waste

On an average, volumes of waste increased 3 to 4 times in healthcare facilities

The total excess mismanaged plastic waste generated during the pandemic is calculated as 4.4 to 15.1 million tons, and 87.4% of this excess waste is from hospitals.

Pre-pandemic, plastic constituted 25% of hospital waste. Today, it accounts for more than half of all healthcare waste.

Most of the 87,000 tons of PPE distributed by the United Nations from March 2020 to November 2021 ended up as trash. Half of it was nonessential, implying facilities have used and discarded tons of unnecessary PPE. 

This equipment, this PPE, this medical waste ends up in our oceans. It overflows landfills. It rips organisms from their homes, making it impossible to survive. It increases our greenhouse gas emissions. It threatens countless lives every day.