Summary
The industry releases about four times as many planet-warming chemicals as the airline industry. Its emissions are equivalent to those of about 600 coal plants. If plastic production remains constant, by 2050 it could burn through nearly a fifth of the Earth’s remaining carbon budget. Researchers found that more than 75 percent of the greenhouse gasses generated by plastics are released in the steps before plastics compounds are assembled. The plastics industry argues that this supply chain can — and must — be rapidly cleaned up.
