Plastic Atlas

Plastic is everywhere: we use it for life-saving medical devices, clothing, toys, and cosmetics; we use it in agriculture and industry. But we also know the growing risk that plastic waste poses to the environment, landfills, and the world's oceans.

One example: the amount of plastic that some fulmars accumulate in their stomachs during their lifetime is equivalent to 31 grams in humans – that would be a plate full. But although awareness of the negative consequences of plastic is growing, we are experiencing an unbroken boom in plastic production. Ninety-nine percent of plastic is made from fossil fuels; the associated climate-damaging emissions are enormous. And only nine percent of all plastic discarded since 1950 has been recycled; instead, huge amounts of our plastic waste end up in landfills in Asian countries every day.

We have only just begun to grasp the enormous dimensions of this crisis. In order to change course, we need in-depth knowledge about the causes, interests, responsible parties, and effects of the plastic crisis. The Plastic Atlas 2019 aims to provide exactly that in 19 chapters.