Plastics in the environment – development of a classification for first estimates of the fate of waste and other plastic products in different environmental media | Umweltbundesamt

The input of plastics into the environment and the associated impact on ecosystems has received increasing public attention and has become part of the political agenda. Plastics can enter the environment in different ways. One important path of entry is littering, i.e. carelessly throwing away or leaving waste in public places. In addition, however, plastic products are often manufactured specifically for an intended use in the environment. In the course of their use, smaller plastic particles can result and directly released into the environment, for example through abrasion or ageing processes. This project developed a system for an initial estimate of the fate of waste and other plastic products in the environment. Based on this, the quantities of plastics that enter the environment via these pathways and remain there after cleaning or dismantling measures were estimated. Relevant sources of plastic discharges were identified and possible measures to reduce these entries into the environment were discussed. Furthermore, suggestions for the future improvement of the data situation were made.