Since 1950, plastic production has increased more than 200-fold, turning the material from a convenient invention into a global disaster.

A new expert assessment has sounded the alarm: plastic pollution is no longer just an environmental problem, but a “full-blown public health crisis”. The horrifying report says plastic is harming people at every stage of life, with an estimated cost of $1.5 trillion a year.

The report, published in the medical journal The Lancet , warns that plastics pose a “serious, growing and underappreciated threat” to human health and the planet. The crisis is largely driven by a dramatic increase in plastic production, which is expected to nearly triple again by 2060, exceeding 1 billion tonnes a year. While plastics play a vital role in a number of industries, the biggest growth has come from single-use items such as fast food containers and drinks bottles.

Plastic: “Enemy” at every stage, from production to decomposition

“Plastics pose a threat to people and the planet in every way,” the review states. From fossil fuel extraction to manufacturing and waste disposal, plastics have been linked to air pollution, exposure to toxic chemicals, and even the presence of microplastics in the human body.

Plastic pollution has exploded globally as production has skyrocketed. Today, more than 8.8 billion tons of plastic waste pollute the Earth, from the top of Everest to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Less than 10% of all plastic ever produced is recycled.

The problem is so serious that scientists are calling for urgent international action. The report comes amid what could be the final round of talks to create a legally binding global treaty on plastics. But oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia, backed by plastics industry lobbyists, are resisting the move.

“We have a pretty good understanding of the scope and severity of the health and environmental impacts of plastic pollution,” said Professor Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician and epidemiologist at Boston University. “It is imperative that a plastics treaty includes measures to protect both human and planetary health. The people most affected are vulnerable groups, especially infants and children. They cause huge economic costs to society. We have a responsibility to act.”

Recycling is not the “salvation”, production needs to be cut

Oil-producing countries and plastics industry groups have advocated focusing on recycling as a solution. However, the report stresses that recycling is not a viable solution.

Unlike materials such as glass, paper or steel, plastics have complex chemical structures and generally cannot be effectively recycled. “It is clear that the world cannot recycle its way out of the plastic pollution crisis,” the report states.

Today, more than 98% of plastic is produced using fossil fuels. Its production releases 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year, more than the entire emissions of Russia.

In addition to contributing to global warming, plastic production also releases toxic air pollutants. More than half of untreated plastic waste is burned outdoors, degrading air quality in many parts of the world.

Microplastics, toxic chemicals and their terrible impact on health

Plastics are made with more than 16,000 chemicals, including fillers, stabilizers, dyes, and flame retardants. Many of these chemicals have been linked to serious health risks, but there is little transparency about the chemicals in the plastics we use every day.

The report specifically highlights that fetuses, infants and young children are particularly vulnerable. It finds links between exposure to plastics and the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, birth defects, childhood cancers, impaired lung development and reproductive problems later in life.

As plastics degrade, they break down into microplastic and nanoplastic particles, which enter the body through food, water and even air. These tiny particles have been found in blood, brain, breast milk, placenta, semen and bone marrow.

While its full impact on health is not yet fully understood, early research suggests a link to strokes and heart attacks. The scientists behind the report are calling on policymakers to take preventative measures.

Plastic may seem like a cheap material, but the report shows its hidden costs are huge. Just three common plastic chemicals: PBDE, BPA, and DEHP, are estimated to cause up to $1.5 trillion in health damage each year across 38 countries.

This new analysis is just the beginning. “These reports will provide policymakers around the world with a robust and independent source of data to guide the development of effective policies to tackle plastic pollution at all levels,” said Margaret Spring, senior attorney and co-author of the report.

The report is an urgent global call that to protect human health and the planet, we need to take immediate action, starting with cutting plastic production.