Plastic, one of the promoters of CO2 emissions

Plastic waste, bags, and plastic bottles are in the middle of nature.

When you open a plastic bottle to drink pure water, your favorite soft drink, or even the plastic bags you use, contributes to CO2 emissions.

In fact, according to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), Mexicans consume an average of 48 kilograms of plastic per year, per person equivalent to 9 billion plastic bottles.

Plastic bottles inside a plastic bag vs glass bottle inside a reusable bag.

Single-use plastics

When we consume plastics, they get discarded without thinking about how they will end up because they get used once; otherwise, this type of plastic releases bisphenol A (BPA), a substance that affects both your health and the environment.

This substance is released from plastic materials such as polyethylene and other resins. In addition, as plastic degrades at high temperatures, it releases hydrocarbon gases, impacting the ecosystem.

These chemical products that are released vary depending on the type of plastic, and when these polymers fragment into tiny particles called microplastics, marine animals consume them, eventually reaching your plate, and are responsible for various ailments.

Different types of plastic waste are in a dump with a yellow truck.

To read more about microplastics, read our article: 5 places where you would never imagine microplastics exist.

Why is plastic the driver of CO2 emissions?

We tell you about it below:

Part of our economy is still based on fossil fuels, oil, etc. And they are the largest emitters of carbon dioxide on the planet. However, plastic, to a lesser extent, also contributes to CO2 emissions and global warming.

These CO2 emissions are produced in 3 ways:

1. Extracting and transport

The extraction and transportation of fossil fuels used for plastic production generate an enormous amount of gases, including CO2, methane, etc., which contribute to atmospheric pollution.

2. Plastics Refining and Production

Plastic fabrication produces different polymers, and during this process, CO2 emissions are generated.

But what is the main drawback at this stage?

The energies with which they manufacture are non-renewable, in addition to the fact that for every kilogram of plastic produced since its extraction, 3.5 kg of CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere.

It is predicted that by 2030, CO2 emissions produced by plastic manufacturing will be over 1 billion CO2 annually.

According to the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), we are currently slightly below that figure.

And by 2050, that figure will reach 2.75 billion tons of CO2 per year during the production of these materials.

3. Plastic waste management and recycling.

A lot of plastic bottles are inside a plastic net.

Proper waste management is essential; otherwise, plastic waste will be incinerated, causing excessive pollution.

Recycling

However, when plastics are recycled, this is of great help to the ecosystem because the polluting impact is decreased by avoiding the first phase of extraction, which reduces the carbon footprint by 49%.

To be exact, one kilogram of recycled plastic produces 1.7% of CO2. While it has an impact, this reduction makes a difference.

After seeing these figures, it is up to us to transform our mentality and habits to reduce or eliminate plastic consumption because every decision we make today will help our planet Earth.

What steps will you take to help the planet?

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Do you want to know more about sustainability, visit us at: https://alxedo.mx/