Just 9.5% of plastic made in 2022 used recycled material, study shows

Plastic waste in a recycling bin in Maryland, US. Americans consume more plastic per head than any other country in the world. Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Less than 10% of the plastic produced around the world is made from recycled material, according to the first detailed global analysis of its life cycle.

The research reveals that most plastic is made from fossil fuels, predominantly coal and oil, despite rhetoric by producers, supermarkets and drinks companies about plastic being recycled.