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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Does the US mismanage less than 1% of its plastic waste?

By Jacob Alabab-Moser
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NO

In 2016, the estimated rate of plastic waste mismanaged by the U.S. was between 2.33% and 2.99% of plastic waste generated, according to a peer-reviewed Science Advances study. Examples of mismanagement include litter, illegal dumping, inadequate domestic waste management, and inadequate management in countries that import plastic waste from the U.S.

The U.S. generates more plastic waste than any other country (17% of the world's total) and ranks 12th for the amount of mismanaged waste. It also had the third-largest amount of mismanaged plastic waste in a coastal environment globally.

Given the scale of the issue, a recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report urges the creation of a national strategy to reduce the amount of plastic waste the U.S. releases into the ocean, including steps to reduce waste at all stages of the plastic waste cycle.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Science The United States’ contribution of plastic waste to land and ocean
Our Shared Seas Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean
National Geographic US generates more plastic trash than any other nation, report finds
National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine US should create national strategy by end of 2022 to reduce its increasing contribution to global ocean plastic waste, says new report
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.