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Okay, serious question: how much carbon is sequestered in plastic if we toss it in a landfill? Given that there's a finite amount of oil left in the world, and
by NickM 8y ago
Okay, serious question: how much carbon is sequestered in plastic if we toss it in a landfill? Given that there's a finite amount of oil left in the world, and that it gets more expensive as supplies dwindle, I almost wonder if using more disposable plastics helps the fight against climate change. Better to turn the carbon into a solid and bury it than burn it and put the CO2 in the atmosphere, right?
- dehrmann 8y agoNot a direct answer, but 4% of global oil production goes to plastics, so I'd put the ceiling slightly higher.
- jtms 8y ago4% does not seem a big enough slice of the carbon puzzle pie to really make a huge difference compared to something like fuels. seems like we should just focus on a solution that minimizes local and immediate human suffering.
- andygates 8y agoThe core problem with this is finding the land to fill. It's not as simple as any ole hole, the stuff is a low-grade contaminant that oozes nasties over decades. For the huge bulk of plastic waste that's a lot. Better by far would be local recycling instead ; this is a fine thing for a government incentive as the (arbitrary, fickle) market incentive has gone away.