Plastic and recycling: Single-use plastic is bad for climate change. Here’s what you can do

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The life cycle of plastic begins underground, where oil and gas are extracted from deep below the surface of the planet. These fossil fuels are then refined in facilities, using extreme temperatures and significant amount of water and energy, where they are transformed into pellets that are eventually melted and molded into things like water bottles, packaging, garbage bags and clothes.

And the widespread use of single-use plastic — the stuff we use once and then throw away — is only made worse by its disposal. Plastics do not break down once they’re thrown into nature. And, alarmingly, only around 9% plastic in the US is actually recycled, according to the Environmental Protection Agency — even the stuff you specifically threw into the recycle bin.

What you might not realize is this isn’t just a pollution problem. It’s a climate problem. And by the time we start talking about recycling, the damage is already done.

The process of making plastic is so energy intensive that if the plastics industry were a country, it would be the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, according to a 2021 report from Beyond Plastics.

Plastics are the “new coal,” said Judith Enck, a former Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator and now president of Beyond Plastics. Generating energy from coal — the most polluting fossil fuel — is already being phased out. But Enck said it’s likely that plastics may be sticking for a while longer, unless consumers significant cut their plastic use.

“It’s a climate killer,” Enck told CNN. “We’re finally seeing an increase in renewable energy and energy efficiency. And the fossil fuel industry knew that they were losing market share on transportation and electricity generation, so plastic production is the plan B for the fossil fuel industry.”

From its production to its end-of-life, plastic belches greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of its life cycle. Here’s why experts say the convenience of plastic comes at a terrible cost for the climate, and what you can do to help reduce its impact.