tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) from making new (virgin) plastic in 2019
Primary plastic production emitted 2.24 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2019, about 71 tonnes every second and more than all aviation.
- Value
- 2.24 billion
- Unit
- tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e)
- Data year
- 2019
- Trend
- Rising
- Source name
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 2024
- Source link
- osti.gov/biblio/2336721
- Confidence
- Evidence: High
- Caveat / scope
- Production stage only; excludes use and disposal.
- Verified on
- 22 September 2026
Sources last verified 22 September 2026. Page updated 24 September 2026. How we check sources