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We produce over 350 million tonnes of plastic each year [1]. If all of the plastic degraded would the carbon released significantly add to our greenhouse gas em

We produce over 350 million tonnes of plastic each year [1]. If all of the plastic degraded would the carbon released significantly add to our greenhouse gas emissions? [1]: https://www.statista.com/statistics/282732/global-production-of-plastics-since-1950/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/282732/global-production...

chewbacha 5y ago
My guess is yes, especially if the plastic was made from fossil fuels.
- divbzero 5y ago
  Looks like it would add a single digit percentage to our global greenhouse gas emissions. For the most widely produced plastics we have: [2] Plastic Production (2015) 01 PET (C10H8O4)n 63% C 33 Mt plastic 21 Mt C 02 PE-HD (C2H4)n 86% C 52 Mt plastic 45 Mt C 03 PVC (C2H3Cl)n 38% C 38 Mt plastic 14 Mt C 04 PE-LD (C2H4)n 86% C 64 Mt plastic 55 Mt C 05 PP (C3H6)n 86% C 68 Mt plastic 58 Mt C 06 PS (C8H8)n 92% C 25 Mt plastic 23 Mt C For greenhouse gas we have: [3] Greenhouse gas Emission (2019) Carbon dioxide CO2 27% C 57,000 Mt gas 15,000 Mt C Altogether we have about 200 Mt C in plastics vs. 15,000 Mt C in greenhouse gas emissions. [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic#Commodity_plastics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic#Commodity_plastics [3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas_emissions#Measurements_and_calculations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas_emissions#Measu...
  - chewbacha 5y ago
    Wow, I didn't realize that plastic production was 3 orders of magnitude different than emissions. That would likely make it seem much smaller. I'd caution reading too much into the yearly rates because it's estimated that we already have produced and tossed 8 billion tons of plastic. This would all potentially be substrate to any bacterium that is able to digest it and could be freed to the atmosphere. This is still smaller than the yearly output of emissions but breaking it all down and releasing it would result in about a years worth of emissions. I think the answer is still "yes" but it's not a concern.
titzer 5y ago
> 350 million tonnes That's more than the combined weight of all humans. Only about 18% of all worldwide plastic is recycled. That means that we literally are filling up the world with an entire copy of the worldwide population, in plastic, every year.
- divbzero 5y ago
  That’s a great way to put things in perspective: Have I consumed more than my weight in plastic this year?

chewbacha 5y ago

My guess is yes, especially if the plastic was made from fossil fuels.

divbzero 5y ago
Looks like it would add a single digit percentage to our global greenhouse gas emissions. For the most widely produced plastics we have: [2] Plastic Production (2015) 01 PET (C10H8O4)n 63% C 33 Mt plastic 21 Mt C 02 PE-HD (C2H4)n 86% C 52 Mt plastic 45 Mt C 03 PVC (C2H3Cl)n 38% C 38 Mt plastic 14 Mt C 04 PE-LD (C2H4)n 86% C 64 Mt plastic 55 Mt C 05 PP (C3H6)n 86% C 68 Mt plastic 58 Mt C 06 PS (C8H8)n 92% C 25 Mt plastic 23 Mt C For greenhouse gas we have: [3] Greenhouse gas Emission (2019) Carbon dioxide CO2 27% C 57,000 Mt gas 15,000 Mt C Altogether we have about 200 Mt C in plastics vs. 15,000 Mt C in greenhouse gas emissions. [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic#Commodity_plastics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic#Commodity_plastics [3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas_emissions#Measurements_and_calculations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas_emissions#Measu...
- chewbacha 5y ago
  Wow, I didn't realize that plastic production was 3 orders of magnitude different than emissions. That would likely make it seem much smaller. I'd caution reading too much into the yearly rates because it's estimated that we already have produced and tossed 8 billion tons of plastic. This would all potentially be substrate to any bacterium that is able to digest it and could be freed to the atmosphere. This is still smaller than the yearly output of emissions but breaking it all down and releasing it would result in about a years worth of emissions. I think the answer is still "yes" but it's not a concern.

titzer 5y ago

> 350 million tonnes That's more than the combined weight of all humans. Only about 18% of all worldwide plastic is recycled. That means that we literally are filling up the world with an entire copy of the worldwide population, in plastic, every year.

divbzero 5y ago
That’s a great way to put things in perspective: Have I consumed more than my weight in plastic this year?