Global mismanaged plastic waste 2019, by destination
An estimated 82 million metric tons of plastic waste was mismanaged and littered worldwide in 2019. While a small amount of litter was cleaned up, the majority of this plastic waste ended up in the environment. An estimated 60 million metric tons of plastic waste were disposed of at dumpsites or burned at open-pits. Roughly seven percent of mismanaged plastic waste leaked into waterways such as rivers, lakes, and oceans.