Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Despite progress in waste management, nearly 20% of all plastic waste may still be mismanaged by 2040. This issue particularly affects low- and middle-income countries, where dumping and open pit burning can worsen environmental and human health effects. Mismanaged plastic waste is a key driver of plastic leakage into terrestrial and aquatic environments.
OECD projections indicate that by 2040, about 300 million tonnes of plastics could accumulate in rivers and oceans. This accumulation over 2020–2040 may nearly match the total historical amount of plastics in aquatic environments before 2020, estimated at around 152 million tonnes. The new plastics introduced in aquatic environments in these two decades amount to an estimated 148 million tonnes.