Natural Sciences >> OtherComparison of Plastic Production and Recycling in the USby Bridget Hartung
Submitted : Spring 2021
In this project, the rates of change of plastic production in the US and rates of change of plastic recycled over time were evaluated. Data collected by the EPA on plastics was used. The rate of change of plastic produced at each interval, starting with 1960-1970 and moving forward in time was calculated, repeated with each interval’s corresponding pair that considered the rate of change of plastic recycled. It was found that from 1960-1980/1990 the overall trend for change in plastic generated was positive. However, the rate of plastic production gradually decreased on average in the following period, after 1980/1990-2018. The rate of change of recycling has overall been positive, with the exception of a drop in the rate in 2015-2017. While it is good news for the environment that the rate of plastic production is slowing while the rate of plastic recycling is overall increasing, there is still a sizeable gap between the amount of plastic recycled and the amount produced. In the future, the rate of change of recycling must steadily and more drastically increase to counteract the currently much larger amounts of plastic generated each year.
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