Waste Plastic Recycling: Not a Choice, but Survival — The Intersection of Global Regulation and Industrial Transition

350 Million Tons Annually, Mostly Underground The volume of waste plastic generated worldwide is massive. According to the OECD's 'Global Plastics Outlook' report, global plastic waste generation in 2019 was estimated at approximately 353 million tons, and without policy changes, it is projected to surge to the 1 billion-ton level by 2060. Major domestic media outlets re-cite figures showing an increase from about 370 million tons in 2022 to approximately 1.01 billion tons by 2060. The issue lies not in the volume generated, but in how it is processed. According to the OECD 'Global Plastics Outlook,' the global plastic waste recycling rate stood at only about 9% as of 2019. Subsequent studies also indicate that this ratio has remained below 10% without significant improvement through the mid-2020s. The remainder is mostly landfilled or incinerated. These figures are not mere environmenta…