MADE TO LAST FOREVER – DESIGNED TO THROW AWAY
The mass production of plastics started in 1950s and has since increased nearly exponentially: when in 1950 plastics were produced 1.7 million tons per year, in 2014 the annual global production reached 311 million tons. In reality, the total quantity is even higher since these numbers do not include fibers made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP) and polyacryl. It is estimated that the plastic production could approach to almost 2 000 million tons by 2050 if the production and use trends do not decline.

Plastic is a light-weight, durable, cheap and easily modified material, which is probably why its usage increased rapidly and is still growing. Plastics are extensively used in our everyday life – wherever you look, you will probably find something made of plastic. In Europe the largest sectors utilizing plastics are packaging (39.5 %), building and construction (20.1 %) and automotive industry (8.6 %). In addition, plastic is also used in electrical and electronic industry (5.7 %) and agriculture (3.4 %). Other uses form a large part of plastic usage (22.7 %) and include sectors such as consumer and household appliances, furniture, sport, health and safety.

Source: https://www.blastic.eu/knowledge-bank/introduction-plastic-marine-litter/plastic-industry/