Fracking for Plastics

An investigation by Stand.earth Research Group and the Center for International Environmental Law identifies a direct link between fracking in the Permian Basin and the plastic packaging used by major global brands, highlighting the role of specific traders and exporters in fueling fossil fuel expansion.

• The Permian Basin in Texas, noted for severe oil and gas pollution and poor air quality, provides a significant amount of the petrochemical feedstocks required for global plastic production, which contributes to the climate crisis.
• A limited number of companies—specifically Ineos, Reliance Industries, and Dow—act as intermediaries moving ethane from U.S. fracking sites to petrochemical plants in Asia and Europe, linking these operations to more than 25 major consumer brands.
• More than 25 global consumer brands, including Nestlé, PepsiCo, and Coca-Cola, utilize petrochemicals derived from fracking for their single-use plastic packaging, which encourages 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} }