We’ve heard the slogans: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Bring your own bag. Say no to straws.
But while we’ve been debating cups and cutlery, something much bigger has been happening—quietly, and with full political support.
Plastic production is booming.
According to the OECD, global plastic production is expected to triple by 2060, with plastic waste projected to reach 1.2 billion tonnes annually—half of which will still end up in landfill. Why? Because plastic isn’t just a product—it’s a pillar of profit for the fossil fuel industry. And behind the scenes, policy decisions, subsidies, and international trade protections are making sure that flow doesn’t stop.
The Fossil Fuel Connection
Here’s something many people don’t realize: most plastic is made from fossil fuels. And as demand for gasoline and diesel declines in the face of electric vehicles and climate policy, oil and gas companies are doubling down on petrochemicals—especially plastic.
New plastic plants are being built across the U.S., Asia, and the Middle East. These facilities are backed by billions in investment and decades-long projections. In places like Texas and Louisiana, the same communities impacted by fossil fuel extraction are now being surrounded by plastic processing plants, too.
The future of fossil fuels isn’t energy. It’s packaging.
Politics Protect the Pipeline
You might expect governments to respond to plastic’s environmental toll by reining in production. Instead, they’ve often done the opposite.
In the U.S., powerful lobbying from the plastics and petrochemical industries has shaped legislation—blocking bans, influencing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, and securing subsidies for so-called “advanced recycling.” State-level preemption laws even prohibit local governments from passing their own plastic bans.
Globally, plastic waste is still exported from wealthier countries to poorer ones—despite the known environmental and health consequences. And trade agreements continue to favor unrestricted plastic flows, often under the guise of economic development. Meanwhile, international talks to draft a legally binding UN plastics treaty—aimed at reducing production—have met resistance from major plastic-producing nations.
Green PR and Industry-Led “Solutions”
Chemical recycling. Net-zero plastic. Bio-attributed polyethylene. These are the latest buzzwords in plastic innovation—but many of them are just polished versions of the same old story.
Most of these initiatives are industry-led, lacking transparency and third-party verification. Some promise closed-loop systems that rarely materialize. Others simply burn plastic waste to generate energy, creating emissions and toxic ash.
They sound like solutions. But they’re often designed to delay regulation, reassure consumers, and justify continued growth.
When the System Doesn’t Want to Change
If you’ve ever wondered why we still have so much plastic despite public pressure—this is why. The system isn’t broken. It’s working exactly as designed.
Plastic is profitable. It’s politically protected. And it’s embedded in everything from trade to development to agriculture. Changing that will require more than consumer shifts. It will require structural courage: caps on production, extended producer responsibility, and international treaties that prioritize the planet over profit.
Want to Understand Why Recycling Was Never Enough? Still wondering why the system favors plastic despite mounting public pressure? Read our companion article: The Great Recycling Distraction — unpacking how the recycling myth gave the industry decades of cover.
Further Reading
Understanding the global plastic economy requires looking beyond just what’s visible on shelves. These resources dig into the industrial systems, market incentives, and political narratives that keep plastic in power—despite the growing awareness of its consequences.
The Truth About Bioplastics – Columbia University, State of the Planet
A clear-eyed look at the opportunities and pitfalls of bioplastics, emphasizing how much depends on production methods and waste infrastructure.
‘It’s Greenwash’: Why Compostable Plastics Often Fail – The Guardian
A revealing report on real-world trials of compostable plastics—and why many fail to meet the promises on their labels.
Bad News About Bioplastics – Beyond Plastics
Examines the industry’s promotion of bioplastics as a solution and highlights the inconvenient realities behind those claims.
Biodegradable and Compostable Plastics: Separating Myth from Reality – Frontiers in Environmental Science
A research-based assessment of the environmental performance of alternative plastics, focusing on what actually happens in real-life disposal scenarios.
Biodegradable Plastics or Green Distraction? – Marine Pollution Bulletin
This scientific review challenges the notion that biodegradable plastics are a simple solution to marine plastic pollution.
Books
These books dive deeper into plastic’s lifecycle, its many disguises, and the future of truly sustainable packaging. The following books are linked to Amazon.com for your convenience. If you decide to purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you.
Life Cycle of Sustainable Packaging [amazon.com]
Rafael Auras & Susan E. M. Selke
A foundational guide for designing packaging systems that align with sustainability goals from start to finish.
Sustainable Plastics: Environmental Assessments of Biobased, Biodegradable, and Recycled Plastics [amazon.com]
Joseph P. Greene
Compares plastic alternatives and their environmental impacts through rigorous life cycle assessments.
Green Biopolymers for Packaging Applications [amazon.com]
Naushad et al.
An in-depth exploration of emerging biopolymer technologies for packaging, grounded in materials science and policy relevance.
Bioplastics for Sustainability: Manufacture, Technologies, and Environment [amazon.com]
Mohammad Jawaid et al.
A global overview of bioplastics manufacturing, challenges, and environmental trade-offs.
Sometimes what’s labeled as progress just gives the problem a new face. These resources help decode what’s real, what’s greenwashed, and what comes next.
Explore the Plastic Truths Mini-Series
This article is part of the Plastic Truths series. To explore all articles and dig deeper into the myths that sustain the plastic age, visit our Plastic Truths overview page.
We don’t publish to praise complexity—we publish to question the kind of eco-language that makes fossil-based plastic sound plant-based. We publish to unmask it.
We keep our articles short, clear, and critical—not to preach, but to provoke. To offer clarity where there’s confusion. And to invite a different kind of conversation—one that questions not just our habits, but the systems that shape them.
Critical thinking starts with asking better questions.
Image Acknowledgement
We’re grateful to the talented photographers and designers on Unsplash for providing beautiful, free-to-use images. The image on this page is by Naja Bertolt Jensen. Check out their work here: https://unsplash.com/@naja_bertolt_jensen.
