Learn about the connections between single-use plastic, fossil fuels and the climate crisis

ChevronPhillips, Olefins refining facilities in Baytown, Texas.
The Houston area has long been known as a major hub of the petrochemical and fossil fuel industry.

ChevronPhillips, Olefins refining facilities in Baytown, Texas.
The Houston area has long been known as a major hub of the petrochemical and fossil fuel industry.

How are single-use plastics linked to climate change?

The oil industry is declining. What does that have to do with plastic demand?

What are the impacts of petrochemical and plastic production on human health?

Are big brands’ failure to invest in reuse and refill solutions driving increased plastic production?

Can recycling play a role in reducing demand for new single-use plastics made from fossil fuels?

 

Want to learn more and take action? Check out our Fighting Plastic Pollution page.

REFERENCES

[1] https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fueling-Plastics-Fossils-Plastics-Petrochemical-Feedstocks.pdf
[2] https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Plastic-and-Climate-FINAL-2019.pdf
[3] https://www.ciel.org/plasticandclimate/
[4] EMF/WEF and CIEL analysis both come to this similar conclusion, using different estimates for various parts of their modeling. EMF/WEF estimate the growth: from 311 MT in 2014 to 1124 MT by 2050) – https://www.ciel.org/plasticandclimate/
[5] EMF/WEF and CIEL analysis both come to this similar conclusion, using different estimates for various parts of their modeling. EMF/WEF estimate the growth: from 311 MT in 2014 to 1124 MT by 2050) – https://www.ciel.org/plasticandclimate/
[6] https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Fueling-Plastics-Fossils-Plastics-Petrochemical-Feedstocks.pdf
[7] American Chemistry Council website, Accessed July 13, 2020. (CIEL reference (Fueling Plastics, Plastics and Climate), and stats from PlasticsEurope that bio-based plastic represents 1% of the plastic on the market). https://www.americanchemistry.com/Policy/Trade/US-Chemicals-Trade-by-the-Numbers.pdf also American Chemistry Council website, Accessed July 13, 2020. (CIEL reference (Fueling Plastics, Plastics and Climate), and stats from PlasticsEurope that bio-based plastic represents 1% of the plastic on the market).
[8] EMF/WEF and CIEL analysis both come to this similar conclusion, using different estimates for various parts of their modeling. EMF/WEF estimate the growth: from 311 MT in 2014 to 1124 MT by 2050) – https://www.ciel.org/plasticandclimate/
[9] American Chemistry Council website, Accessed July 13, 2020. (CIEL reference (Fueling Plastics, Plastics and Climate), and stats from PlasticsEurope that bio-based plastic represents 1% of the plastic on the market). https://www.americanchemistry.com/Policy/Trade/US-Chemicals-Trade-by-the-Numbers.pdf also American Chemistry Council website, Accessed July 13, 2020. (CIEL reference (Fueling Plastics, Plastics and Climate), and stats from PlasticsEurope that bio-based plastic represents 1% of the plastic on the market).
[10] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1438463917302912
[11] Overview of community and industry specific studies chronicled in Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States (UCC, 1987), Dumping in Dixie (Bullard, 1990), and Toxic Communities (Taylor, 2014).
[12] See, for example: Allshouse et al. Environ Sci Technol. 53, 7126–7135 (2019). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b00052; Johnston et al. Sci Total Environ. 657, 187–99 (2019) DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.483.
[13] Richburg, C.M. & Slagley, J. Public Health Nurs. 36, 3–10 (2019). DOI: 10.1111/phn.12540
[14] Bhopal, et al. Occup. Environ. Med. 55, 812–822 (1998).; Sans et al. Occup. Environ. Med. 52, 217–224 (1995). doi: 10.1136/oem.52.4.217.;
[15] Relić et al. Molecules 24, 2139 (2019). DOI: 10.3390/molecules24112139
[16] Nadal et al. Chemosphere. 66, 267-276 (2007)
[17] https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/news/global-commitment-2020-progress-report-published
[18] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/mar/14/coca-cola-admits-it-produces-3m-tonnes-of-plastic-packaging-a-year also https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/news/global-commitment-2020-progress-report-published
[19] https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/news/global-commitment-2020-progress-report-published
[20] https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/2020/12/02/top-plastic-polluters-of-2020/
[21] https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/7/e1700782