ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → News

The statistic of the year: 90.5% of plastic has never been recycled

Some stats are better than others.

Mihai AndreibyMihai Andrei
December 20, 2018
in News, Science
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

Recycling plastic could become easier thanks to this new technology
Plastic-hunting barge cleans up world’s rivers
A cost-effective way to recycle plastic could be commercially available in ‘5 to 10 years’
Plastic-eating bacteria turns waste into vanilla flavoring

Mankind has output an estimated 6,300 million metric tonnes of plastic, and very little of that has been recycled — 90.5% of it was either burned or accumulated in dumps or in the oceans. That is the year’s winning statistic, according to UK’s Royal Statistic Society (RSS).

‘It’s very concerning that such a large proportion of plastic waste has never been recycled’, says RSS President, Sir David Spiegelhalter, who chaired the Stats of the Year judging panel. ‘This statistic helps to show the scale of the challenge we all face. It has rightly been named the RSS’s ‘International Statistic of the Year’ for 2018.’

Image in public domain.

Every year, the RSS publishes what it considers to be the most “zeitgeist” statistics of the year — the most relevant and important figures. They feature vital aspects of the time (such as plastic recycling), as well as more offbeat topics, like Kylie Jenner (who slashed $1.3 billion from Snapchat’s value with a single Tweet). Dr. Jen Rogers, RSS vice-president and a member of the judging panel, said the number showed “the power of celebrity”, and it could be the “world’s most costly Tweet”. Jenner tried to mend things later by saying that Snapchat is still her “first love”, but the damage had already been done.

sooo does anyone else not open Snapchat anymore? Or is it just me… ugh this is so sad.

— Kylie Jenner (@KylieJenner) February 21, 2018

Another quirky statistic has to do with Jaffa Cakes. According to Rogers, there was a 16.7% reduction in the number of Jaffa cakes in McVities’ Christmas tube, illustrating the concept of ‘shrinkflation’ (as reported in The Sun and Metro).

The top UK statistic was 28.7%: the peak percentage of all electricity produced in the UK due to solar power on 30 June this year. Although briefly, solar energy was the country’s main electricity provider, the first time since the Industrial Revolution. This year also marked a period of 55 hours when the UK ran without coal.

“It’s a reflection of what are the important things facing us as a population. We are becoming more and more aware of these issues surrounding us like climate change, the relationship we have with the environment, the things we can do to help the environment,” Rogers commented.

Here are a few of the other statistics mentioned by the RSS:

  • 9.5%: the percentage point reduction in worldwide ‘absolute poverty’ over the last ten years. Extreme poverty has halved since 2008;
  • 64,946: the number of measles cases in Europe from November 2017 to October 2018. Measles has made an unlikely comeback, in part due to the decrease in vaccinations;
  • 6.4%: the percentage of female executive directors within FTSE 250 companies (in the UK).
  • 85.9%: the proportion of British trains that ran on time.
Tags: plasticstatistics

ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Dr. Andrei Mihai is a geophysicist and founder of ZME Science. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics and archaeology and has completed courses from prestigious universities (with programs ranging from climate and astronomy to chemistry and geology). He is passionate about making research more accessible to everyone and communicating news and features to a broad audience.

Related Posts

Environmental Issues

Glass bottles shed up to 50 times more microplastics into drinks than plastic or cans — and the paint on the cap may be to blame

byTudor Tarita
4 days ago
Animals

This Bear Lived Two Years With a Barrel Lid Stuck on Its Neck Before Finally Being Freed

byTibi Puiu
1 week ago
Environment

This Plastic Dissolves in Seawater and Leaves Behind Zero Microplastics

byTudor Tarita
3 weeks ago
News

How many people are actually exceptional? Less than 1 in 100,000

byMihai Andrei
1 month ago

Recent news

Tennis May Add Nearly 10 Years to Your Life and Most People Are Ignoring It

July 4, 2025

Humans Have Been Reshaping Earth with Fire for at Least 50,000 Years

July 4, 2025

The Strangest Microbe Ever Found Straddles The Line Between Life and Non-Life

July 4, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.