The Project

Project Overview

The goal of The Plastics & Climate Project is to help estimate the extent to which plastics and their associated petrochemicals contribute to the global average temperature rise. In working towards this goal, the Project conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed scientific literature to identify critical data gaps, developed an agenda for necessary continued research, and recommended policies and actions to support that research.

[HOLLY TO REVISE — flagged as factually inaccurate.] Primary plastic production alone generated more than 2.7 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in 2023 — approximately 5% of total global greenhouse gas emissions, exceeding aviation's impact. Projections indicate a 37% increase in plastics lifecycle GHG emissions by 2050.

The result is our peer-reviewed paper published in Frontiers in Environmental Science, and a summary report for non-technical audiences: "Plastics: Exposing Their Climate Impacts, What We Know, What We Need To Know, & Recommendations For Research and Policy."

Why This Matters

Though the connections between climate change and plastics are becoming more widely discussed among activists and policymakers, little quantitative data exists. As fossil fuels are the main feedstock for petrochemicals and 99% of plastics, plastics inherently have climate impacts similar to other fossil-fuel based industries. However, plastics also have unique climate impacts — including during use and when they become unmanaged waste.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Emissions of multiple greenhouse gases and black carbon throughout the lifecycle of plastics, including from the extraction, production, distribution, use, and end-of-life treatment — including recycling, burning, environmental degradation — and unmanaged waste.

Carbon Cycling

Interference with global carbon cycling, including the functioning of ocean, soil, and plant carbon sinks.

Radiation Budget

Alteration of the Earth's radiation budget due to the plastic particles covering the Earth's surface and presence in the air and clouds.

Project Deliverables

  • Systematic literature review and meta-analysis assessing the current state of data on plastics and climate change
  • Research agenda and proposed experiments needed to address identified data and knowledge gaps
  • Peer-reviewed paper published in the scientific literature (Frontiers in Environmental Science)
  • Report summarizing findings and recommendations for non-technical audiences
  • Symposia and webinars with leading scientists, research funders, policymakers, NGOs, and EJ representatives
  • Articles, press releases, and social media to share findings with lay audiences, policymakers, and educators
  • Website serving as an ongoing repository for papers, reports, articles, and recordings on the plastics/climate nexus

Notes & Citations

  1. Plastics affect the climate in multiple ways due both to greenhouse gas emissions through all stages of the plastics life cycle, and to plastic's physical and chemical properties, including shedding of micro- and nanoplastics. The only impact category that is accounted for is greenhouse gas emissions. However, only the emissions from the beginning extraction and production phases, and some forms of waste management are counted. Global production of primary plastics alone generated more than 2.7 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in 2023 — about 5% (up to 5.3%) of total global GHG emissions, or twice the amount from aviation. (The 5% is approximate as it depends on the global GHG emissions number used — WRI or Canadian government.) A 2024 study (Pottinger et al.) estimates annual increases in GHG emissions from the plastics lifecycle are projected to grow 37% by 2050 to approximately 3.35 billion tonnes CO₂ equivalent. WRI global GHG emissions · Canadian government GHG indicators · Pottinger et al. (2024)
  2. Zhu (2021) "The plastic cycle — an unknown branch of the carbon cycle"; Stubbins et al. (2021) "Plastics in the Earth System"; Loiselle and Galgani (2020) "Plastic pollution impacts on marine carbon biogeochemistry"; Sharma et al. (2023) "Contribution of plastic and microplastic to global climate change and their conjoining impacts on the environment"; Shen et al. (2023) "Recent advances in the research on effects of micro/nanoplastics on carbon conversion and carbon cycle: a review."
  3. Reyna-Bensusan et al. (2019) "Experimental measurements of black carbon emission factors to estimate the global impact of uncontrolled burning of waste."
  4. "A Poison Like No Other — How Microplastics Corrupted Our Planet & Our Bodies" states the plastics industry ranks fifth after China, the U.S., India, and Russia. National Geographic and The Global Carbon Atlas rank it fourth.
  5. Beyond Plastics (2021). "The New Coal: Plastics & Climate Change."
  6. Shen et al. (2020). "Can microplastics pose a threat to ocean carbon sequestration?"
  7. Maity and Pramanick (2020). "Perspectives and challenges of micro/nanoplastics-induced toxicity with special reference to phytotoxicity."
  8. Brahney et al. (2020). "Plastic rain in protected areas of the United States."
  9. CIEL (2019). "Plastic & Health — The Hidden Cost of a Plastic Planet."