The bottom line, therefore, is that we will need to reduce our demand for plastic. While a China PETG shrink film Manufacturers life without plastics may seem unimaginable, it is worth remembering that their prevalence is a relativity recent phenomenon. If we show a genuine appetite to address plastic pollution, the world could change again just as quickly.However, as much as 40 per cent of landfill waste is burnt in open skies, dramatically speeding up the release of otherwise locked-up carbon.We’re all too aware of the consequences of plastics in the oceans and on land. The highest-quality plastics can be recycled many times and nearly all plastic can be recycled to some extent but only 18 per cent was actually recycled worldwide in 2015. 

The materials themselves are carbon neutral, although renewable power is essential to eliminate the climate impact of energy costs during production, transport and waste processing. According to the study, simply reducing the annual growth in plastics demand from 4 percent to 2 per cent could result in 60 per cent lower emissions from the sector in 2050. Greenhouse gas emissions also occur during the refining process itself – the "cracking” of larger hydrocarbons from petrochemicals into smaller ones suitable for making plastic releases carbon dioxide and methane. 

Carbon footprint of the plastic lifecycleMore than 99 per cent of plastics are manufactured from petrochemicals, most commonly from petroleum and natural gas.As plastics take centuries to degrade, disposal in landfill makes only a small contribution to emissions in theory. A more fundamental solution is to switch to making plastics from biodegradable sources such as wood, corn starch and sugar cane. In showing that transitioning to a zero carbon energy system has the potential to reduce emissions from plastic by 51 per cent, the study provides yet another reason to rapidly phase out fossil fuels.However, beyond urgently required global decarbonisation, we need to reduce our seemingly insatiable demand for carbon-based plastic

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