How Do We Dispose Of Our Plastic?

 

Author: Hai Le

Updated on October 11, 2025 • Estimated read time: 6 minutes

We live in a plastic era where plastic is used in almost everything, from food packaging to furniture and even the clothes we wear are being made from plastic. Have you ever wondered where does all this plastic go once we’re done with it? And more importantly, how do we actually dispose of it?

Fun Fact: Not all plastic is recyclable. Did you know that small-sized plastics (roughly 3 inches or smaller), such as bread bag clips, dental floss, and even loose bottle caps, are not recyclable? These small pieces often get caught or fall between the belts and gears of the machinery, so they all end up being treated as trash.

Every year, the world produces hundreds of millions of tons of plastic, and about half of it is single-use items designed to be thrown away after just one use. This leads to an accumulation of plastic waste that pollutes landfills, oceans, and natural environments.

In this blog post, we'll explore many different ways that we dispose of our plastic. We'll also take a look at the pros and cons of each method and how they affect our environment. I hope you'll enjoy reading this article and taking the right action against plastic pollution.

End Up In The Landfills

Have you ever wondered where all the plastic stuff we throw away goes? Well, according to Our World in Data (2019), about 49% of the world’s plastic waste ends up in landfills, 22% is mismanaged, 19% is incinerated, and only 9% is recycled.

Surprisingly, the numbers look even worse in the United States, where about 73% of plastic waste ends up in landfills, 4% is mismanaged, 19% is incinerated, and only 4% is recycled!

Landfills are the most common way to dispose of plastic waste. The process involves burying the plastic waste deep within the ground, where it will be isolated from the surrounding environment. (Nearly 180,000 trucks are being used to transport garbage every day throughout the United States, driving an average of 25,000 miles per truck each year!)

• Pros: Landfills are a relatively cheap way to dispose of plastic waste and provide a centralized location for waste management.
• Cons: Unfortunately, landfills can release harmful pollutants into the environment and take up a lot of space.

And since most plastic products are made to last, it can take 500 to 1,000 years for plastic waste to fully decompose in the landfills. This means virtually every piece of plastic that was ever made still exists somewhere on the planet in some shape or form.

Summary: The majority of plastic items we throw away are being transported to landfills, where over 90% will spend the next hundreds of years biodegrading. While landfills are a cheap disposal method, they come with harmful pollutants and take up a lot of space.

Photo: © vnosokin via Getty Images

End Up Being Incinerated

According to the same study done by Our World in Data (2019), roughly 19% of discarded plastics worldwide and in the U.S. are being incinerated in municipal facilities.

So what is incineration? This method, known as waste-to-energy incineration, involves burning plastic waste at extremely high temperatures. The heat can be used to generate electricity or heat.

• Pros: Incineration can help reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfills, and it can also generate electricity or heat. (Certain plastics that are difficult to recycle, but can be safely destroyed through this method.)
• Cons: Unfortunately, incineration can release harmful pollutants into the environment and is an expensive method of waste disposal.

The process of incineration often produces toxic byproducts such as dioxins, furans, and heavy metals, which must be carefully filtered to avoid harming human health and the environment.

Fun Fact: According to National Geographic, plastics release more energy per kilogram than coal when burned. In Sweden, less than 1% of household waste ends up in landfills, thanks to their waste-to-energy systems.

Summary: Modern incineration plants are designed to provide an alternative solution to prevent plastic waste from ending up in landfills. However, it's important to remain mindful of its environmental impact and costly expenses.

Photo: © frimufilms via canva.com

End Up In Recycling Facility

Plastics undoubtedly revolutionized our modern life, without them, we wouldn't have computers, mobile phones, or even cars. However, due to the skyrocketing demand for plastic, we don't have enough solutions to control and manage this much plastic, which leads to plastic being discarded everywhere.

One solution to tackle this problem is recycling, a process that transforms old/used plastic into new products. Recycling plastic not only helps to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills but also conserves precious natural resources.

• Pros: Recycling helps to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfills, and it also conserves natural resources.
• Cons: Unfortunately, not all plastic is recyclable, and the recycling process can be expensive due to collection, transportation, and processing costs.

Again, according to that study by Our World in Data (2019), only 9% of discarded plastics worldwide are recycled, with the U.S. lagging behind at just 4%.

Note: There are 2 types of plastics (Thermoset and Thermoplastics). Thermosets typically cannot be recycled because they harden as you heat them, meaning that no matter how much heat you apply, they cannot be remelted into new material. On the other hand, thermoplastics are recyclable plastics because they can be remelted and remolded into new products.

Summary: Plastic can also end up in recycling facilities, where it not only helps reduce landfill waste but also preserves valuable natural resources through the process of transforming old/used plastic into new ones. However, recycling is not a perfect system. It requires significant infrastructure, energy, and labor, and not all plastics are created equal.

Photo: © chaiyapruek2520 via Getty Images

End Up In The Ocean

The last column in the study by Our World in Data (2019) is mismanaged plastic waste, which includes materials burned in open pits, dumped into seas or open waters, or disposed of in unsanitary landfills and dumpsites. They account for only 4% in the U.S., but around 22% of the plastic waste around the world.

According to the Ocean Conference, more than 8 million tonnes of plastic make their way into our oceans each year, equal to dumping a garbage truck of plastic every single minute. And as much as 80% of all litter in our oceans is made of plastic!

What happens if your plastic waste doesn’t make it to a landfill or recycling facility? When you throw away your plastic, it may end up being blown away due to its lightweight nature. Consequently, it can clutter around drains, find its way into rivers, and eventually enter the sea.

And unlike landfills or incineration, there are no “pros” to ocean plastic pollution. The consequences are devastating: (According to the Ocean Conference)

• Marine debris is harming more than 800 species. 40% of marine mammals and 44% of seabird species are affected by ingesting them.
• As many as 51 trillion microplastic particles litter our oceans. (500 times more than the stars in our galaxy!)
• Plastic waste kills up to 1 million sea birds, and more than 100,000 sea mammals, marine turtles, and fish each year.

Fun Fact: Most of the plastic waste from the US is shipped to developing countries around the world. In 2019, a team of Guardian reporters from 11 different countries found that America shipped 68,000 shipping containers of plastic waste to developing countries.

When plastic escapes our waste and recycling systems, it often ends up in the ocean—where it causes irreversible damage to ecosystems, wildlife, and even human health. Unlike other disposal methods, ocean plastic pollution offers no benefits—only lasting harm to our planet.

Summary: When plastic escapes our waste and recycling systems, it often ends up in our ocean, where it can cause irreversible damage to the ecosystems, wildlife, and even our human health. (And unlike other disposal methods, there are no benefits from ocean plastic pollution!)

Quick Takeaway

Plastics can end up in various places after disposal. According to Our World in Data (2019), a significant portion (73%) of plastic waste ends up in landfills, 4% is mismanaged, 19% is being incinerated, and only 4% is recycled in the United States!

This means that despite our best intentions, not all the plastic we throw away today will be buried underground, it can also be floating in the oceans or broken down into microplastics that infiltrate soil, water, and even our food chain.

Understanding these pathways can encourage us to adopt more sustainable practices and minimize the environmental impact of plastic.

Frequently Asked Questions Relate To This Blog:

Question #1: Is it better to recycle plastic or throw it away?

Answer: Not all plastics are recyclable, however, it is generally better to recycle plastic than to throw it away. Recycling plastic helps reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, conserves natural resources, and saves energy.

Question #2: What happens to the plastic I throw away?

Answer: Most plastic that is thrown away ends up in a landfill, where it can take hundreds of years to decompose. In some cases, your plastic waste can also make its way into the ocean, contributing to pollution and harming marine life.

Question #3: What are the different ways to dispose my plastic?

Answer: You can either throw your plastic away in the trash, which results in it ending up in a landfill, or recycle it to reduce waste. If recycling is not an option, consider reducing your plastic use or finding alternatives.

Question #4: Why do plastics take so long to decompose in landfills?

Answer: In short, and non-scientific terms, plastics can take anywhere from 500 to 1,000 years to decompose because they are made from synthetic materials that do not break down naturally. This slow decomposition process is a major contributor to long-lasting waste in landfills.