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Historical World Plastic Manufacturing Output
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About
Plastic production has seen a dramatic increase over the past seven decades, rising from just two million tonnes globally in 1950 to over 450 million tonnes now. Plastic is a valuable material used widely in construction, medical instruments, and packaging due to its cheap, versatile, and sterile properties. This data tracks the annual rise in global plastic manufacturing. It highlights a critical environmental issue: when plastic waste is mismanaged, failing to be recycled or properly sealed, it pollutes the environment. An estimated one to two million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans yearly, significantly affecting wildlife and ecosystems. The information is vital for efforts aimed at improving global plastic waste management, particularly in regions that contribute heavily to ocean plastic pollution.
Columns
- Entity (country): Defines the geographic scope covered by the record, which consistently reflects global measurements (World).
- Code (codes): Provides the specific geographic code for the entity, typically 'OWID_WRL' for world data.
- Year (year): The specific year of the record, spanning the period from 1950 up to and including 2019.
- Annual plastic production between 1950 and 2019 (annual plastic): The quantified volume of plastic produced worldwide in millions of tonnes for that year, ranging from 2.00 million tonnes to 460 million tonnes.
Distribution
The dataset is structured as a single file, typically provided in a CSV format (
global-plastics-production new.csv). It contains 69 valid records across all columns. The file size is small, measured at 2.15 kB. The data captures annual values over a 70-year period, from 1950 to 2019. The expected update frequency for this material is annually.Usage
This dataset is ideal for:
- Analysing historical trends in industrial material production.
- Modelling the growth rate of plastic usage versus population growth or economic indicators.
- Supporting environmental impact assessments related to plastic pollution and climate change studies.
- Developing policy recommendations focused on waste reduction and recycling infrastructure improvement.
Coverage
The geographic scope focuses exclusively on the global level, designated by the Entity 'World'. The time range covered is extensive, beginning in 1950 and concluding in 2019. There are 69 data points, one for each year in the recorded period.
License
CC0: Public Domain
Who Can Use It
- Environmental Scientists: To quantify the scale of global plastic usage feeding into pollution models, particularly ocean plastics.
- Policy Makers and NGOs: To benchmark current production levels and target legislative efforts aimed at improving plastic waste management globally.
- Academics and Students: For research into sustainability, material science impacts, and historical resource consumption patterns.
- Journalists: For visualising the rapid increase in production as part of reports on the planetary plastics crisis.
Dataset Name Suggestions
- Global Annual Plastic Production Tonnage (1950-2019)
- Historical World Plastic Manufacturing Output
- Plastic Pollution Input Data: Production Trends
- Seventy Years of Global Polymer Production
Attributes
Original Data Source:Historical World Plastic Manufacturing Output
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