Is plastic packaging the worst offender when it comes to climate change?

Studies have looked at what would happen if we replaced plastic packaging with alternatives. Two found that GHGs would increase nearly three times and a third found they would almost double.[1] Another 2020 study concluded that, compared to alternative materials, plastic packaging is often the least damaging when it comes to carbon emissions.[2] 

In 2018, 18 academics from 15 universities co-signed an open letter highlighting that switching away from plastics to alternative materials could worsen global warming[3]

If we were to replace all the plastic packaging in Europe and North America with alternative materials, it could generate an extra 116 million tonnes of GHGs every year.[4]

Plastic packaging also extends the shelf life of food and helps to reduce food waste, which is responsible for 8% of global GHG emissions.[5] 14% of food in the world is lost before it even reaches a retailer.[6] 

One of the targets within the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals is to reduce food loss within the production and initial supply chain, and to halve food waste among retailers and consumers.[7] Plastic packaging is an essential component if these targets are to be met.

 

Plastic Packaging Versus Alternative Materials - Mass, Energy and GHG Emissions

SOURCE: The impact of plastic packaging on life cycle energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in Europe (2011)

 

The 2020 study mentioned above was comissioned by Veolia and published by Imperial College. It explores the cost to the environment in terms of increased carbon emissions if switching from plastics to other materials. Please read that full report here.

 

 

...