US plastics could reportedly create more emissions than coal by 2030

While the thought is utterly depressing, the trend appears to be confirming prior summations that plastic production would eventually take the mantle from fossil fuels as the most damaging US industry.

In addition, its even more frustrating that the charge is being largely headed up by petrochemical companies as a profitable backup to coal.

As hyrdro-fracking is slowly (emphasis there) phased out, the capped ethane is being sent to ethane cracker facilities which will continue to release emissions while creating even more single use plastic. This is, unfortunately, where the majority of investment is going.

For scope, since 2019 at least 42 plastic facilities have opened, are under construction, or are filtering through the lease process in the US. If all are to get the go ahead, we could be looking at an extra 55 million tons of emissions by 2025.

In any case, you can completely write off America’s NDCs established during the Paris Agreement. Let alone even more ambitious cutbacks to keep warming below 1.5 degrees.

The World Economic Forum was one such organisation that saw the warning signs early, and predicted global plastic production would triple by 2050.

‘Fossil fuel companies are making less money on generating power and less money for transportation… so they see plastics as the plan B,’ says Beyond Plastics chief Judith Enck.

‘There’s no plan B for the rest if us. We are in a climate crisis,’ she finished.

All eyes will now turn to COP26 to see the response from policy makers, and whether or not the US is willing to prevent these damaging forecasts from coming to pass.