Thats 3.4% of the global total, more than the percentage of CO2 contributed by the aviation sector or emissions from all the rice grown worldwide. Remember that when youre making plastic, theres the greenhouse gas emissions, but these facilities also emit massive amounts of air toxins and particulates, Enck added. Youre not going to get very far, if the faucet is still on. Flaring and venting occur along these networks, as well as gas leaks. It directly chokes and smothers a host of marine animals and habitats and can take hundreds of years to break down. Large amounts of trash and plastic refuse collect in Ballona Creek after first major rain storm, Culver City, California, USA. The report warns that plastic production is set to grow by 30% in the next five years, creating even more plastic waste and exacerbating the climate emergency. Our seven-part guide helps you minimize your personal role in the climate crisis and reduce your eco-anxiety. Microplastics Are Polluting the Ocean at a Shocking Rate. Photo: Nels Israelson. But, according to scientists from UC Santa Barbara, even recycling plastic produces greenhouse gas emissions, as fossil fuels are combusted to run the machines that shred plastic waste and heat it up to make other products. The process of extracting and transporting those fuels, then manufacturing plastic creates billions of tonnes of greenhouse gases. And governments around the world are beginning negotiations on a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. Photo: Emilian Robert Vicol. Scientists are warning politicians immersed in climate change policy not to forget that the world is also in the midst of a plastic waste crisis. And 73% believe there is a direct link between how much plastic packaging people use and climate change. With assistance by: And look for plastic-free options like bar shampoo. Only about 9% of plastic worldwide is recycled. .chakra .wef-facbof{display:inline;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-facbof{display:block;}}You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. Now I think about plastics in the same way. Plastic trash floating in a river. Some 11 billion pounds of plastic particles are blanketing the surface alone. And this leads us back to the plastic consumption on land that is driving this mounting plastic pollution crisis. But the relationship between plastics and climate . of the world's annual petroleum production is diverted to making plastic, and another 4% gets burned in the refining process. 35% of all microplastics come from the laundering of synthetic textiles like polyester. It is thought that these dumps contribute to the escalating populations of Kelp gulls and worsening gull predation on whales. Twenty-seven countries have banned certain plastic products, such as packaging, plates, cups and straws. Theres no rule that says you have to wrap your fruits and veggies at the store. Just 16% of plastics are recycled - the rest goes to landfill for incineration, or is just dumped. The amount of plastic entering municipal waste streams and being burned has steadily increased over the decades. By 2050, 20% of our oil use will be for plasticsmore per person than we use for our cars. Its really a health threat.. Essentially, plastic is made of materials like ethylene and propylene that are derived from Fossil Fuels which eventually (when exposed to sunlight) increase the amount of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere. (That figure does not account for 10 of the 36 plants because information on their potential emissions is not yet available. We used to rely on countries like China, Myanmar and Cambodia to handle our waste plastic. And the impacts are way more sinister than anyone first thought. Maine and Oregon are two states that have recently passed such laws. (Just make sure to zero-out the scale before you start filling them, so you dont pay for the weight of your container.). According to the report, the U.S. plastics industry released 114 million tons of greenhouse gases nationwide in 2020. For example, 4% of the world's annual petroleum production is diverted to making plastic, and another 4% gets burned in the refining process. Receive email updates to learn how you can help make a difference for the future of our ocean. Site terms According to researchers from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, plastic production and disposal resulted in 850 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 and may be responsible for up to 2.8 billion tons by 2050. The over-abundance of natural gas has resulted in the lowest gas prices since 2016. Finally, plastics may be harming the climate in one other way. But theres an invisible and just as damaging toll, too. The large majority of plastics are derived from natural gas. A 2019 report estimated that plastic incinerated in the US alone accounts for 5.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, the same amount of greenhouse gases emitted by more than 1.2 million cars . The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum. Theyve been found in human blood and in breast milk. Then, armed with a list of where you use single-use plastic the most, you can start to make replacements. Plastic adds significantly to the emissions that cause climate change as the world struggles to limit warming to 1.5C. Recycled plastic used to be cheaper than new plastic, but because of the boom in petrochemical production in the U.S., and because of the demand for recycled plastic from sustainable companies, virgin plastic is becoming cheaper than recycled. WWF-Australia 2018, All rights reserved. In the 1950s the world produced 2 million metric tons of the stuff annually, according tothe UN Environment Program. And these are just two of the over 300 planned petrochemical projects being built in the U.S. mainly to produce plastic and plastic feedstocks. We think that if we could start to reduce single-use plastics at the local level with local ordinances, that can start to become more of the norm, she said. Ninety percent of its reported climate change pollution occurs in just 18 communities, where residents earn 28 percent less than the average U.S. household and are 67 percent more likely to be people of color. The video went viral, inspiring people to take action. In the US alone, some $200 billionwas invested between 2010 and 2018 to secure natural gas supplies for plastics and other chemicals. Data is a powerful force for system change. For more details, review our .chakra .wef-12jlgmc{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;font-weight:700;}.chakra .wef-12jlgmc:hover,.chakra .wef-12jlgmc[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-12jlgmc:focus,.chakra .wef-12jlgmc[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);}privacy policy. of discarded plastic also enters our oceans each year, and plastic pollution at sea is on course to double by 2030. Plastic uses less. To make plastic, fossil fuel feedstocks such as ethane are sent to plants known as steam crackers. Even in countries with advanced waste streams like the US, a small fraction of plastic is captured for recycling. Carbon Dioxide Further, microplasticstiny plastic particles and fiberscan harm bacteria and plankton in the ocean. Now I think about plastics in the same way. Plastic rubbish will outweigh fish in the oceans by 2050 unless the world takes drastic action to . WWFs Living Planet Report 2022 shows the scale of the challenge and what we can do about it. Most plastic comes from . The Plastic Pollution Coalitionestimates that in 2018, only two percent of municipal plastic waste was recycled in the U.S. and six times more plastic was burned than recycled. .chakra .wef-10kdnp0{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;}What is the World Economic Forum doing about plastic pollution? Refuse plastic cutlery Take your own utensils to restaurants that typically provide plastics. Estimating how much global plastic production will grow in the future is tricky since it is based on industry-provided numbers. Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg. Skip Navigation watch live This weekly round-up brings you key climate crisis stories from the past week. Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world. That's because chemicals derived from fossil fuel production are used to make almost all plastics - more than 99% of them. A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda. Our country is burning and flooding and hurricanes are coming earlier and earlier, she told CNN. However, the poorly-regulated incineration in those developing nations posed considerable threats to human health and the environment. The future of the planet is in our hands. After a certain point, all the chemicals can permeate through the plastic and you dont know what the consequences are.. This website uses cookies as well as similar tools and technologies to understand visitors' experiences. Its also the same annual emissions as around 50 million cars, according to the EPA. Glass and paper, for example, are very energy-intensive. Material and technological innovation offers another path forward. And plastic recycling doesnt work, Enck said, because most of what we think were recycling just ends up in the landfill. The problem with the "individual choices" emphasis on tackling climate change and plastic pollution is that it neglects the fact that our political system is deeply interwoven with fossil fuel companies and their interests. . Plastic is a major contributor to climate change. By promoting sustainable practices and supporting companies like Raw tech trade we can make a positive impact on our planet and pave the way towards a more sustainable future. US value chain graphic photographers from left: Scott Varley/Digital First Media/Torrance Daily Breeze/Getty Images, Thailand Is Tired of Recycling Your Trash, Big Plastics Faltering Global Cleanup Effort, Amazon Packages Burn in India, Final Stop in Broken Recycling System, has met less than 1% of its recycling target. is affecting economies, industries and global issues, with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale. Plastic pollution is the environmental issue Americans care most about. A global campaign against single-use plastics could make a larger dent in oil demand than electric cars. These organisms are essential for absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere and are a big reason why the ocean has effectively moderated Earths climate throughout history. Growth in ethane production, consumption and exports. To make plastic, companies separate it from the natural gas mixture and convey it in liquid form via pipeline to an ethane cracker, a large industrial plant that uses intense heat to crack or break apart ethane molecules. Plastic is one of the most persistent pollutants on Earth. Plastics is among the most energy-intensive materials to produce, according to the head of CIEL. It's responsible for 3.4 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, mostly because the majority of them are produced with fossil . There are currently 201 working factories that support plastic production. Just as the world is starting to address its enormous plastic pollution problem, these companies are doubling down on plastic, with huge potential consequences for climate and the environment. Methane is 80 times as potent as CO2 in the first two decades after its release. Plastic Pollution is one of the single biggest causes of climate change. Two large ethane crackers came online on the Gulf Coast in December with two smaller facilities scheduled to open soon. However, these bans are small dams against a tsunami of new plastic. So in order to get a complete picture, you would have to study these replacements, but no one has done that yet., You know, you and most people post articles like above, but nobody does anything about plastic. Waste plastic also causes climate change Getting rid of all this plastic also causes problems for the planet. Some research indicates that it can disrupt hormone and reproductive systems. 2 million metric tons of greenhouse gases nationwide in 2020 stuff annually, according tothe UN Environment Program global,. 200 billionwas invested between 2010 and 2018 to secure natural gas has resulted in the the. Is in our hands grow in the 1950s the world struggles to limit warming to.... 16 % of all microplastics come from the laundering of synthetic textiles like polyester built. 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