Scientists say that even if immediate steps are taken to prevent plastic pollution, by 2040, there will be 698 million tons (710 million metric tons) of plastic on Earth.
However, with concerted efforts globally and reducing the use of plastics, plastic pollution can be reduced by 80% by 2040.
According to the Mail Online report, even if the best conditions remain, the environment will have an increase of 698 million tonnes of waste by 2040, of which 452 million tonnes will be on land and 246 million tonnes will be in water reservoirs.
What is even more alarming is that if concrete and meaningful policy action is not taken, by the year 2040, 1.27 billion tons of plastic will have been lost to the land and the sea.
All of the data was taken from a computer model developed by 17 global experts to monitor the flow and pile of plastics around the world.
The same study also found that over the next 20 years, the amount of plastics shipped at sea will increase from 18 million tonnes to 28.5 million tonnes.
Scientists warn that burning plastic waste can reduce its volume, but the toxic fumes emitted from it cause greenhouse gas emissions.
Read more: Are plastic bags the biggest environmental problem?
According to researchers, pollution can be reduced by improving garbage collection facilities, but the global plastic supply system also needs to be changed to make the 700 million tonnes figure a reality.
At present, 30 million tons of plastic is being collected on land annually, while 50 million tons of plastic is being burned openly, and 18 million tons of plastic is being dumped into the sea.
By 2040, this situation could reach 75.7 million tons of plastic land, 138 million tons of open burning and 88.5 million tons of seawater.
According to the computer model, if no action was taken, 2.6 billion tonnes of plastic would have been burnt openly between 2016 and 2040.
Also read: It took me weeks to get rid of plastic, but I succeeded!
However, burning plastic is a double-edged sword and while it reduces the volume of plastic, it poses serious environmental hazards, including global warming.
Experts say that plastic pollution can be reduced by reducing the use of plastic, using alternative materials, recycling or disposing of it properly.
