The Carbon Footprint Of Plastic: Co2 Emissions Explored

Plastic refining is one of the most greenhouse-gas-intensive industries in the manufacturing sector. The manufacture of plastic is energy-intensive and emissions-intensive, producing significant emissions through the cracking of alkanes into olefins, the polymerisation and plasticisation of olefins into plastic resins, and other chemical refining processes. In 2015, 24 ethylene facilities in the US produced 17.5 million metric tons of CO2e, emitting as much CO2 as 3.8 million passenger vehicles. If the production, disposal, and incineration of plastic continue on their present growth trajectory, by 2030, these global emissions could reach 1.34 gigatons per year. By 2050, plastic production and incineration could emit 2.8 gigatons of CO2 per year.

Plastic manufacturing in the UK produced 2.91 million metric tons of CO2 in 2022

The carbon footprint of plastics continues even after we've disposed of them. Dumping, incinerating, recycling and composting (for certain plastics) all release carbon dioxide. In 2015, 25% of global plastic waste was incinerated; in the U.S., emissions from plastic incineration were equivalent to 5.9 million metric tons of CO2, the same as the emissions from heating 681,000 homes for a year. Only about 8.4% of plastic is recycled, but 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.

Estimates vary with the type of recycling process used, but researchers agree that recycling and re-manufacturing plastic saves at least 30% of the carbon emissions that original processing and manufacturing produces. A group of Italian scientists performed a life-cycle analysis of different recycling methods, as compared to landfilling or combustion. They found that the emissions savings of recycling plastic were 70 to 80% compared to virgin plastic production.

Incinerating plastic releases carbon dioxide

The carbon footprint of plastics continues even after we've disposed of them. Dumping, incinerating, recycling and composting (for certain plastics) all release carbon dioxide. In 2015, the emissions from plastics were equivalent to nearly 1.8 billion metric tons of CO2.

Recycling and re-manufacturing plastic saves at least 30% of the carbon emissions that original processing and manufacturing produces. A group of Italian scientists performed a life-cycle analysis of different recycling methods, as compared to landfilling or combustion. They found that recycling plastic produced 70-80% fewer emissions than virgin plastic production.

The plastic product manufacturing sector in the UK produced around 2.91 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2022. This was a slight decrease compared to the previous year, but emissions from this sector have fluctuated in recent decades.

Recycling plastic produces greenhouse gas emissions

The production of plastic is an energy-intensive process that produces significant emissions. The manufacture of plastic involves the cracking of alkanes into olefins, the polymerisation and plasticisation of olefins into plastic resins, and other chemical refining processes. All of these processes emit greenhouse gases, either directly or via the energy required to accomplish them.

In 2015, 24 ethylene facilities in the US produced 17.5 million metric tons of CO2e, emitting as much CO2 as 3.8 million passenger vehicles. Globally in 2015, emissions from cracking to produce ethylene were 184.3–213.0 million metric tons of CO2e, as much as 45 million passenger vehicles driven for one year.

The life-cycle emissions of plastics, which includes the production of the material and its disposal, were estimated by the OECD to be 1.8 billion tonnes. Most of these emissions come from the production stage, in the form of carbon dioxide. Since the world emits around 54.6 billion tonnes of CO2eq, plastics were responsible for around 3.3% of global emissions.

The plastic and petrochemical industries’ plans to expand plastic production threaten to exacerbate plastic’s climate impacts. If the production, disposal, and incineration of plastic continue on their present growth trajectory, by 2030, these global emissions could reach 1.34 gigatons per year—equivalent to more than 295 five-hundred-megawatt coal plants. By 2050, plastic production and incineration could emit 2.8 gigatons of CO2 per year, releasing as many emissions as 615 five-hundred-megawatt coal plants.

The carbon footprint of plastic continues after disposal

The overwhelming majority of plastic resins come from petroleum, which requires extraction and distillation. Then the resins are formed into products and transported to market. All of these processes emit greenhouse gases, either directly or via the energy required to accomplish them.

In 2022, the plastic product manufacturing sector in the United Kingdom produced around 2.91 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. This was a slight decrease compared to the previous year. However, emissions from this sector have fluctuated in recent decades, and researchers expect the global demand for plastics to increase by some 22% over the next five years.

Despite this, recycling and re-manufacturing plastic saves at least 30% of the carbon emissions that original processing and manufacturing produces. For example, a group of Italian scientists performed a life-cycle analysis of different recycling methods, as compared to landfilling or combustion. Comparing greenhouse gas emissions from post-consumer plastic production (recycling) with the equivalent amount of virgin plastic production, the researchers quantified emissions savings of 70 to 80% in the recycling scenario.

Recycling and re-manufacturing plastic saves at least 30% of carbon emissions

In 2015, 25% of global plastic waste was incinerated. In the US, emissions from plastic incineration were equivalent to 5.9 million metric tons of CO2, which is the same as the emissions from heating 681,000 homes for a year.

The carbon footprint of plastics continues even after we've disposed of them. Dumping, incinerating, recycling and composting (for certain plastics) all release carbon dioxide. In 2015, emissions from plastics were equivalent to nearly 1.8 billion metric tons of CO2.

In the UK, the plastic product manufacturing sector produced around 2.91 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2022. This was a slight decrease compared to the previous year, but emissions from this sector have fluctuated in recent decades.

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