The carbon footprint of plastic production. A donut chart shows greenhouse gas emissions from plastic production in 2019 with a breakdown by plastic polymer type. Total GHG emissions are estimated at 2.24 billion tonnes CO2 equivalents. The plastics contribute to this total roughly in proportion to the amount of each plastic produced per year. Major contributors are polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

The astonishing carbon footprint of plastic production

Last year, scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab reported that the carbon footprint of plastic production is around 2.2 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalents. That’s more than double previous estimates, amounting to more than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. If the plastics industry continues to grow at the current rate, it will be one of the biggest drivers of climate change by 2050. Continue reading The astonishing carbon footprint of plastic production