Open access
Date
2022-02Type
- Journal Article
Abstract
Research on the environmental impacts from the global value chain of plastics has typically focused on the disposal phase, considered most harmful to the environment and human health. However, the production of plastics is also responsible for substantial environmental, health and socioeconomic impacts. We show that the carbon and particulate-matter-related health footprint of plastics has doubled since 1995, due mainly to growth in plastics production in coal-based economies. Coal-based emissions have quadrupled since 1995, causing almost half of the plastics-related carbon and particulate-matter-related health footprint in 2015. Plastics-related carbon footprints of China’s transportation, Indonesia’s electronics industry and India’s construction sector have increased more than 50-fold since 1995. In 2015, plastics caused 4.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, 6% of global coal electricity is used for plastics production. The European Union and the United States have increasingly consumed plastics produced in coal-based economies. In 2015, 85% of the workforce required for plastics consumed by the European Union and the United States was employed abroad, but 80% of the related value added was generated domestically. As high-income regions have outsourced the energy-intensive steps of plastics production to coal-based economies, renewable energy investments throughout the plastics value chain are critical for sustainable production and consumption of plastics. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000518642Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Nature SustainabilityVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
NatureSubject
plastics; carbon footprint; coal; Environmental footprint; health impact; outsourcing; global value chains; Life-cycle analysis; Multi-regional input-output analysis; Supply chain analysis; greenhouse gas emissions; international trade; particulate matter; Emerging economies; China; European union; United States; Indonesia; South AfricaOrganisational unit
03732 - Hellweg, Stefanie / Hellweg, Stefanie
02890 - Inst. of Science, Technology and Policy / Inst. of Science, Technology and Policy
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Is part of: https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000532983
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