Fracking for Plastics

A report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and Stand.earth Research Group (SRG) details how fracking in the Permian Basin fuels the global plastic packaging supply chain, linking major consumer brands to fossil fuel expansion.

• The Permian Basin, which is the largest source of oil and gas pollution globally and has some of the worst air quality in the United States, provides a significant amount of petrochemical feedstocks for global plastic production.
• A small number of traders and exporters facilitate the movement of ethane from U.S. fracking wells to petrochemical plants in Asia and Europe. Specifically, supply chains involving Dow, Reliance Industries, and Ineos connect to over 25 major consumer brands.
• More than 25 global brands, including Nestlé, PepsiCo, and Coca-Cola, use petrochemicals derived from fracking to produce single-use plastic packaging, which drives the expansion and extraction of fossil fuels.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2025). Fracking for Plastics. https://www.ciel.org/reports/fracking-for-plastics/

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Fracking for Plastics. 2025. https://www.ciel.org/reports/fracking-for-plastics/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Fracking for Plastics |date=1 April 2025 |url=https://www.ciel.org/reports/fracking-for-plastics/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2025fracking, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Fracking for Plastics}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://www.ciel.org/reports/fracking-for-plastics/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }