The Climate Consequences of Plastics | Briefing | EESI

This briefing summarizes a panel discussion on the climate and environmental justice impacts of plastic production, highlighting the role of the petrochemical industry in greenhouse gas emissions and the necessity of policy shifts toward reuse and extended producer responsibility.

• Plastic production is projected to increase its share of global oil consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions as the material becomes more ubiquitous. The industry has adapted to utilize cheap natural gas from hydraulic fracturing, and some production centers, such as Baton Rouge, are identified as major sources of climate pollution.
• Plastic production and disposal create significant environmental justice issues, particularly in 'Cancer Alley' along the Mississippi River in Louisiana, where petrochemical facilities cause air and water pollution. Additionally, low-income communities of color in food deserts face higher exposure to over 12,000 chemicals used in food and beverage packaging.
• Global plastic recycling rates are low, estimated at approximately 8.5 percent, leading to the littering, burial, or burning of the remainder, often in environmental justice communities or through export to Asia and Africa.
• Various regions have implemented bans or targets to reduce single-use plastics. The European Union has banned 10 types of plastics and set a 2030 target for 10 percent of packaging to be reusable, while Romania aims for 30 percent by 2025 and Germany targets 70 percent reusable bottles by 2023. In the U.S., New York state banned plastic bags in 2020 (reducing the use of 23 billion bags) and banned polystyrene foam and plastic peanuts on January 1, 2022.
• Policy solutions discussed include extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws adopted in Maine and Oregon, and a comprehensive food waste reduction policy in Berkeley, California, which mandates reusables for on-site dining and charges for take-out cups. There are also calls for a national bottle bill and a three-year pause on new plastic production facilities via the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act to address pollution in Texas and Louisiana.

APA

Todoroff, A. (2021). The Climate Consequences of Plastics | Briefing | EESI. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/120921waste

Chicago

Todoroff, Amber. The Climate Consequences of Plastics | Briefing | EESI. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2021. https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/120921waste.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Todoroff |first1=Amber |title=The Climate Consequences of Plastics | Briefing | EESI |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=9 December 2021 |url=https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/120921waste |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{todoroff2021climate, author = {Todoroff, Amber}, title = {{The Climate Consequences of Plastics | Briefing | EESI}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/120921waste}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }