The growing scourge of plastic pollution: In numbers – Times of India
Global production of synthetic polymers has increased 230-fold since the 1950s (Representative Image/Reuters) PARIS: Nations could agree in December on a world-first treaty to reduce the amount of plastic leaking into the environment which, if nothing is done, is forecast to triple by 2060.How did we get here? And what are the impacts on the environment and the climate? Plastic boomGlobal production of synthetic polymers -- which form the building blocks of plastic -- has increased 230-fold since the 1950s, says the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).Total production doubled between 2000 and 2019 to 460 million tons, faster than commodities like steel, aluminium or cement. By 2060, if left unchecked, that figure will have almost tripled to 1.2 billion tons, accord...