The Climate Impact of Plastic – Why It's Time for Companies to Take Real Action

Plastic pollution has long been a concern for environmentalists, but recent research reveals an even more alarming reality: plastic is a significant accelerator of the climate crisis.

In this article, we’ll break down the key ways plastic contributes to global emissions—and why businesses must move from awareness to action.

1. Plastic Production = CO₂ Emissions

Plastic is made from fossil fuels like crude oil and natural gas. Converting these raw materials into ethylene—a key building block of most plastics—produces massive amounts of carbon dioxide.

• Global CO₂ emissions from ethylene production are expected to rise by 34% between 2015 and 2030 (Yale Climate Connections).
• The entire plastic lifecycle already accounts for about 3.3% of all global greenhouse gas emissions.

2. Landfills and Methane Emissions

Methane (CH₄) is a powerful greenhouse gas—28 to 86 times more potent than CO₂ over a 20 to 100-year timeframe.

In landfills, organic materials like food scraps, wood, and paper decompose in oxygen-poor environments. This anaerobic fermentation process produces methane as a byproduct.

While plastic itself doesn’t emit methane, it contributes indirectly:

• Plastic blocks natural decomposition
  → When organic waste is trapped inside or beneath plastic, it can’t decompose properly—leading to more methane.
• Landfills heat up and fill faster
  → Plastic doesn’t break down, so it takes up space and traps heat, raising internal landfill temperatures and accelerating anaerobic breakdown.
• Plastic increases total landfill mass
  → More waste means greater risk of uncontrolled methane generation from buried organic matter.

According to the United Nations, up to 85% of plastic ends up in landfills or unmanaged waste systems. And landfills are major methane emitters—methane is up to 86 times more potent than CO₂.

• In the U.S. alone, landfill methane emissions are equivalent to the annual emissions of over 24 million cars.

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3. What About Finland?

Finland has minimized landfill use—but that doesn’t mean the problem is solved.

Here too, the biggest climate impact comes from plastic production, packaging, and transportation. And recycling systems remain complex and inconsistent, leading to large volumes of plastic entering business supply chains.

Lisäksi kierrätysjärjestelmät ovat edelleen sekavia, ja muovia kertyy valtavasti yritysten toimitusketjuihin.

Talking Isn’t Enough – It’s Time to Act

The link between plastic and climate change is undeniable. We can no longer treat plastic purely as a waste issue—it's a climate issue at its core.

Companies now have the opportunity to lead the way by choosing solutions that reduce emissions and plastic dependency. Sustainability is no longer just a “nice-to-have”—it’s a competitive advantage and an essential part of long-term growth.

Change starts with conscious choices. Change starts with us.

👉 Explore practical solutions for businesses

Sources:

• Yale Climate Connections – Muovituotannon CO₂-päästöennusteet

• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – Muovin kierrätys- ja kaatopaikkatilastot

• The Guardian – Microplastics & landfill emissions 2025

• Environmental Defense Fund – Uusimmat arviot metaanipäästöjen aliraportoinnista

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator

• Doria.fi – Suomen ympäristötiedon kansallinen julkaisuarkisto