More than 9.1 billion tons (8.3 metric tons) of it have been produced on Earth, with most dumped into landfills or the oceans, US researchers said Wednesday (Thursday in Manila). The report found that as of 2015, nearly seven billion tons (6.3 metric tons) of plastic waste was generated on our planet. A total of 79 percent of that plastic waste accumulated in landfills or the environment, including the oceans. While steel and cement are used for years, most plastic is used in packaging—think plastic water bottles that are used once and discarded. The same team of researchers reported in 2015 eight million metric tons of plastic entered the oceans in 2010.

Source: Manila Times July 20, 2017 12:00 UTC