Plastic's Co2 Sequestration: An Annual Analysis

Plastic is a major contributor to global CO2 emissions. In 2015, the United States alone emitted at least 9.5–10.5 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents (CO2e) per year from fossil fuel extraction and transport attributed to plastic production. Outside the US, where oil is the primary feedstock for plastic production, approximately 108 million metric tons of CO2e per year are attributable to plastic production. The manufacture of plastic is both energy-intensive and emissions-intensive, and the world-wide production of plastic is currently at 35 kilograms per person per year, increasing by 3% annually. Most of the plastic is used for packaging (35%), followed by the construction sector and vehicle construction. Recycling plastic saves on average about 2.5 kg CO2 per kg of plastic, but the plastic and petrochemical industries' plans to expand plastic production threaten to exacerbate plastic's climate impacts and could make limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C impossible.

Plastic production is energy-intensive and emissions-intensive, producing significant CO2 emissions through chemical refining processes

The manufacture of plastic produces significant emissions through the cracking of alkanes into olefins, the polymerization and plasticization of olefins into plastic resins, and other chemical refining processes. These emissions contribute to plastic's staggering carbon footprint, with more than 500 million tons of CO2 produced by plastic annually. This is equivalent to the amount produced worldwide by all passenger cars, motorbikes, planes, and trains combined.

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, global emissions could reach 1.34 gigatons per year. 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.

Additionally, every ton of plastic waste in landfills releases about three tons of CO2e greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change. Plastic also releases toxic chemicals when incinerated or buried in landfills, seeping into water supplies and causing health problems for humans who ingest them.

In 2015, emissions from fossil fuel extraction and transport attributed to plastic production were 9.5-10.5 million metric tons of CO2e per year in the US

In 2015, emissions from fossil fuel extraction and transport attributed to plastic production in the US were 9.5-10.5 million metric tons of CO2e per year. This is a staggering amount, and it's important to note that this is only accounting for emissions from the production of plastic, not including the disposal and incineration of plastic, which also contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.

The manufacture of plastic is both energy-intensive and emissions-intensive, with the refining process being one of the most greenhouse-gas-intensive industries in the manufacturing sector. The cracking of alkanes into olefins, the polymerization and plasticization of olefins into plastic resins, and other chemical refining processes all produce significant emissions.

The impact of plastic on the environment is further exacerbated by the fact that plastic has a relatively long lifetime, with an average of 12 years, and the construction sector being a major user of plastic. Recycling can help reduce the carbon footprint of plastic, with recycled plastic producing about 3.5 kg CO2 compared to 6 kg of CO2 for new plastic. However, the current recycling rate is low, with about 40% of produced plastic being disposed of within a year, mainly as packaging material.

The plastic industry's plans to expand production threaten to make limiting global temperature rise even more challenging. If production, disposal, and incineration of plastic continue on their current trajectory, global emissions from plastic could reach 1.34 gigatons per year by 2030 and 2.8 gigatons of CO2 per year by 2050. These emissions will accumulate in the atmosphere over time, contributing to climate change.

Outside the US, where oil is the primary feedstock for plastic production, plastic production is responsible for approximately 108 million metric tons of CO2e per year

The plastic industry's plans to expand production threaten to make limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C impossible. If production, disposal, and incineration of plastic continue on their current trajectory, global emissions from plastic could reach 1.34 gigatons per year by 2030. By 2050, plastic production and incineration could emit 2.8 gigatons of CO2 per year. Critically, these emissions will accumulate in the atmosphere over time, contributing to climate change.

In addition to the emissions associated with plastic production, plastic waste in landfills releases about 3 tons of CO2e greenhouse gas emissions for every ton of plastic. Several million tons of plastic waste enter the oceans each year, harming wildlife and killing fish and birds. Plastic also releases toxic chemicals when incinerated or buried in landfills, seeping into water supplies and causing health problems for humans who ingest them.

The total amount of CO2 produced by plastic annually is more than 500 million tons, equivalent to the emissions produced worldwide by all passenger cars, motorbikes, planes, and trains combined.

Plastic incineration and disposal contribute to CO2 emissions, with plastic packaging incineration alone accounting for 16 million metric tons of CO2e in 2015

Plastic incineration and disposal contribute significantly to CO2 emissions. In 2015, global emissions from the incineration of plastic packaging alone totalled 16 million metric tons of CO2e. This figure is alarming, considering that plastic packaging represents 40% of plastic demand. The impact of plastic incineration on the environment is further exacerbated by the fact that 32% of plastic packaging waste remains unmanaged, contributing to open burning, incineration without energy recovery, and other practices that are challenging to quantify.

The plastic industry's plans to expand production threaten to worsen plastic's climate impacts. If the current trajectory of production, disposal, and incineration continues, global emissions from plastic could reach 1.34 gigatons per year by 2030, equivalent to the emissions of 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. These emissions will accumulate in the atmosphere over time, making it increasingly difficult to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.

The manufacture of plastic is both energy-intensive and emissions-intensive. In the United States, emissions from fossil fuel extraction and transport attributed to plastic production were estimated to be at least 9.5-10.5 million metric tons of CO2e per year in 2015. Outside the US, where oil is the primary feedstock for plastic production, plastic production contributes approximately 108 million metric tons of CO2e per year, mainly from extraction and refining.

Additionally, plastic waste in landfills releases about three tons of CO2e greenhouse gas emissions for every ton of plastic. This contributes to climate change and has severe environmental consequences, including harm to wildlife and the release of toxic chemicals when plastic is incinerated or buried. The staggering amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by plastics, estimated at more than 500 million tons of CO2 annually, underscores the urgent need to address plastic's impact on the environment.

The plastic industry's plans to expand production threaten to make limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C impossible

Plastic refining is among the most greenhouse-gas-intensive industries in the manufacturing sector. In the United States alone in 2015, emissions from fossil fuel extraction and transport attributed to plastic production were at least 9.5–10.5 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents (CO2e) per year. Outside the US, where oil is the primary feedstock for plastic production, approximately 108 million metric tons of CO2e per year are attributable to plastic production, mainly from extraction and refining.

The manufacture of plastic is both energy-intensive and emissions-intensive, producing significant emissions through the cracking of alkanes into olefins, the polymerization and plasticization of olefins into plastic resins, and other chemical refining processes. The world-wide production of plastic is currently at 35 kilograms per year per person, and this is increasing by 3% per year.

The plastic and petrochemical industries' plans to expand plastic production threaten to exacerbate plastic's climate impacts and could make limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C impossible. 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. Critically, these annual emissions will accumulate in the atmosphere over time.

To avoid overshooting the 1.5°C target, aggregate global greenhouse emissions must stay within a remaining (and quickly declining) carbon budget of 420–570 gigatons of carbon. The plastic industry plans on tripling US plastic production by 2050, which would undermine efforts to remain below 1.5 degrees Celsius of global temperature rise. Fossil fuel companies are banking on plastic production to make up for declining demand for fuel as alternative energy and electric vehicles become more available.

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