NPR

Plastic Is Everywhere And Recycling Isn't The End Of It

A researcher tallied how much has been manufactured since plastic's invention: "Eight point three billion metric tons of plastics produced so far. That's just really a staggering amount."
Piles of plastic waste are pictured on the seaside in the coastal town of Khalde, south of the Lebanese capital Beirut, on September 22, 2016. / JOSEPH EID / Getty Images

Few inventions in modern history have been as successful as plastic. It's in vehicles and building materials and most of our electronic devices. We wrap stuff in it and even wear it.

Now a research team has tallied up

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