Plastic is Carbon

The document contends that plastic production and incineration are significant climate threats, projected to emit 2.8 gigatons of CO2e annually by 2050 and consume up to 13% of the global 1.5C carbon budget. It systematically debunks five industry 'myths' regarding net zero: that clean energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS) can make production emissions-free, that plastic waste is a carbon-free fuel, that plastics can be carbon sinks, that offset schemes are viable, and that bioplastics solve the problem. The author concludes that these narratives are delay tactics and that 'real zero'—reducing production—is the only solution.

• Plastic production and incineration are projected to emit 2.8 gigatons of CO2e per year by 2050, which is equivalent to the emissions of 615 coal plants and could consume up to 13% of the global 1.5C carbon budget.
• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is deemed an ineffective solution for the chemicals sector; a study of 1,500 U.S. industrial facilities found CCS was economically viable in less than 10% of cases, even with subsidies.
• Burning plastic waste for energy is not carbon-free, as incineration emits 2.9 kg of CO2e for every 1 kg of plastic burned, and chemical recycling processes like pyrolysis or gasification simply add energy-intensive steps to this process.
• Carbon offsets are insufficient to mitigate plastic's footprint; plastic's 2021 lifecycle emissions would require a new forest the size of Cyprus to offset, and by 2050, a forest the size of Belgium would be needed annually.
• Bioplastics are not a climate solution because they rely on carbon-intensive industrial agriculture; shifting 250 million tonnes of plastic production to bio-based alternatives would require up to 5% of all arable land.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). Plastic is Carbon. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Plastic-is-Carbon-Oct2021.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Plastic is Carbon. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Plastic-is-Carbon-Oct2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Plastic is Carbon |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Plastic-is-Carbon-Oct2021.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndplastic, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Plastic is Carbon}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Plastic-is-Carbon-Oct2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }