40% of global plastic waste comes from packaging

Around 40% of the world’s plastic waste comes from packaging. Packaging also makes up a significant share in the three regions that generate the most plastic waste: the United States, Europe, and China.

Packaging accounts for 37% of total plastic waste in the United States. It’s 38% in Europe, and in China, it's 45%. Together, these regions account for 60% of global packaging waste generation. This data comes from the OECD Global Plastics Outlook.

These figures show the vast impact of packaging on global plastic waste.

(This Daily Data Insight was written by Veronika Samborska.)