Plastic warms the planet twice as much as aviation – here's how to make it climate-friendly
Laurie Wright, Solent University We’re all too aware of the consequences of plastics in the oceans and on land . However, beyond the visible pollution of our once pristine habitats, plastics are having a grave impact on the climate too. Newly published research calculates that across their lifecycle, plastics account for 3.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. That’s almost double the emissions of the aviation sector. If it were a country, the “Plastic Kingdom” would be the fifth-highest emitter in the world. Demand is set to rise, too. At 380m tonnes a year, we produce 190 times more plastic than we did in 1950. If the demand for plastic continues to grow at its current rate of 4% a year, emissions from plastic production will reach 15% of global emissions by 2050. Plastic across the lifecycle More than 99% of plastics are manufactured from petrochemicals, most commonly from petroleum and natural gas . These raw materials are refined to form ethylene, propy...