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Worldwide plastics production falls in 2020 for the first time since 2008: Report

WION Web Team
NEW DELHIUpdated: Jun 10, 2021, 01:57 PM IST
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File photo: This file photo taken on May 16, 2018 shows workers sorting out plastic bottles at a waste centre in Beijing. China will ban plastic bags in major cities and single-use straws from restaurants by the end of 2020 in a bid to cut down on waste. Photograph:(Reuters)
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According to the European industry group PlasticsEurope, global plastics production fell by 0.3 per cent in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus epidemic, only the third time output has dropped since World War II

Plastics have outgrown the majority of man-made materials and have long been scrutinised by environmentalists. 

Also read | Plastic in oceans to outweigh fish: China to ban single-use plastic bags and straws

The commercial business for polymers – long-chain synthetic molecules of which "plastics" is a common misnomer – has evolved significantly since its early beginnings during and after World War II. In 2015, over 320 million tons of polymers, excluding fibres, were manufactured across the globe.

Watch | Study: Plastic waste in oceans to triple by 2040

According to the European industry group PlasticsEurope, global plastics production fell by 0.3 per cent in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus epidemic, only the third time output has dropped since World War II. 

In Europe, plastics output was down 5.1 per cent last year, PlasticsEurope said in a statement.

Previously, global plastics output fell as a result of the oil crisis in 1973 and then the financial crisis in 2008.

(With inputs from agencies)

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