Plastic Collection and Removal
The clean-up of ocean-bound plastics is one of the most challenging pollution problems ever faced.
Pollution from plastics poses a threat to nature and society through its huge impact on marine life, fishery resources, the livelihood of coastal areas, basic nature values, tourism, and human health.
Since 2000, the plastics industry has produced as much plastic as all the preceding years combined.
The production of virgin plastic has increased 200-fold since 1950 and has grown at a rate of 4 % a year since 2003.
In 2016, the most recent year for which data is available, production reached 396 million metric tons. That is equivalent to 53 kilograms of plastic for each person on the planet.
Production of plastic in 2016 resulted in approximately 2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, which accounts for almost 6 % of the year’s total global carbon dioxide emissions.
If all predicted plastic production capacity is constructed, current production could increase by 40 % by 2030.