Global scale of microplastic occurrence

Abstract: The mass production of plastics due to their low production costs and versatile use has resulted in the generation of a significant amount of waste. Between 1950 and 2015, a total of approximately 6,300 million tonnes (Gray et al., 2017) of plastic waste was produced, with production accelerating significantly in recent years. It is estimated that by 2060, an additional 270 million tons will be generated (Lebreton et al., 2018). Despite the fact that modern plastics are often recyclable, their recycling rate is still low and, globally, is less than 10% (Avio et al., 2017). Depending on regulations, international relations and environmental awareness, plastic waste is exported, landfilled, incinerated and less frequently recovered. This article collects information on the global production of plastics, projections for demand in the coming years, the scale of occurrence in the environment and the threat they pose to flora and fauna.