The Plastics & Climate Project
Spotlighting the undercounted, significant, and growing climate impacts of plastics by sharing the story, spurring the science, and influencing policy.
Your work helped to establish the urgent need to understand the nexus between plastic pollution and climate change. Thanks for your tireless work to bring the issue of the climate impact of plastics to the attention of the world. You've helped to bring this issue into sharp public focus — exactly where it belongs. — Dr. Ben Santer
Why This Project Exists
Scientists know that plastics — and the petrochemicals in them — have climate change impacts. But we don't know how much of a temperature rise they may cause. With increasing plastic production, use, and waste generation, these climate impacts will also increase. Even many "bio" and "compostable" plastics affect the climate. Yet a number of climate impacts from plastics are not included in any greenhouse gas emissions inventories or climate models.
What the Data Show
If the plastics industry were a country, it would be at least the 5th largest emitter of greenhouse gases — after China, the US, India, and Russia.
Source: Cabernard et al., Nature Sustainability, 2021
[HOLLY TO REVISE — flagged as factually inaccurate.] 5% of total global GHG emissions from primary plastics — twice aviation.
Source: OECD Global Plastics Outlook, 2022
The plastics industry is on track to release more greenhouse gases than coal plants in the US by 2030, including millions of tons of methane.
Source: Beyond Plastics, 2022
Plastics appear to be harming the ocean's ability to absorb carbon, as well as soils' and plants', and add toxins to those environments and the air we breathe.
Source: Zhu et al., Frontiers in Environmental Science, 2025
Access the peer-reviewed paper, summary report, and other materials.
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Support Our Work
Tax-deductible donations to The Plastics & Climate Project are welcome and needed to support our outreach, advocacy, scientific, and policy work.
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