Plastic container

Because of the material variety (combinations are no exception), the waste will make up a significant portion of plainly visible plastic pollution although some containers like bottles are recyclable.

[1] Plastic has replaced traditional materials like wood, paperboard, and metal for the manufacture of containers because of its price, moldability/formability, durability and light weight.

Waste plastic packaging makes up a considerable portion of collected aquatic litter (15.9% in the oceans and 74.5% in rivers).

[3] In the late 2010s, 150 companies signed up to be part of The Ellen MacArthur Foundation's commitment to reduce plastic pollution.

Alternatives such as cotton bags, cardboard boxes and aluminum cans often have larger ecological footprints because these use up more energy and water to manufacture and transport than their plastic equivalents.

In China annual plastic packaging consumption is approximately 14 kg/capita; in Europe the rate is much higher, averaging 174 kg/capita.

[6] The Ocean Conservancy reported that China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam dump more plastic in the sea than all other countries combined.