JESSICA RAWNSLEY
Categories: All Climate Protest + Activism Global Social Justice Data-driven Science + Tech
THE FINANCIAL TIMES
Bioplastics start-ups gain ground but green credentials face scrutiny
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If it is difficult to fathom the sheer volume of plastic production in the world today, the scale of associated waste and pollution is perhaps still harder to grasp.
More than three-quarters of the 460mn tonnes of plastic produced in 2019 became waste, OECD figures show — much of it in landfill, but also destined for incineration and leakage into rivers and oceans. And, with their heavy reliance on fossil fuels for raw materials, plastics account for about 3.4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions — more than the aviation industry.
More than three-quarters of the 460mn tonnes of plastic produced in 2019 became waste, OECD figures show — much of it in landfill, but also destined for incineration and leakage into rivers and oceans. And, with their heavy reliance on fossil fuels for raw materials, plastics account for about 3.4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions — more than the aviation industry.
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