Plastic causes climate change

400 million tonnes of plastic are produced every year - and a third of it ends up in the oceans. What effects does this have and why does plastic actually heat up the climate?

Heavy emitter of greenhouse gases

Plastic is a man-made raw material, the production of which consumes about one fifth of the world's available oil and natural gas every day. The Heinrich Böll Foundation has estimated that plastic production in 2015 caused greenhouse gases amounting to approximately 1.8 million tonnes. Global plastic production thus accounts for 10-13 per cent of the greenhouse gases that may still be consumed in order to limit man-made global warming to 1.5 degrees.

Means in plain language: Plastic production alone contributes significantly to climate change.

Huge plastic waste basin

Around one third of plastic waste is disposed of in the environment and then ends up in the ocean. This plastic waste forms 5 large plastic whirlpools, which were already four times larger than Germany in 2018. Animals like fish, birds and turtles mistake small plastic particles for food and starve to death. This severely disrupts the food chain.

Means in plain language: The ocean is full of plastic waste, which in turn affects the global ecosystem.

The devastating interactions

Oceans are considered one of the main contributors to a stable Earth climate. Responsible for this is plant Plankton. It makes up a large part of the biomass and serves as a food source for many marine organisms.

The plastic in the oceans breaks down into tiny pieces, microplastics. It disrupts biological processes that help plankton bind the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide at the ocean surface.

Means in plain language: Plastic causes plankton to die in the oceans, which increases climate change.

Decomposition with fatal consequences

When sunlight hits certain types of plastic, the greenhouse gas methane is produced. What sounds trivial is, according to A 2018 study by the University of Hawaii a reaction with serious consequences. Because: Methane is 21 times more effective than the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

Most methane is produced in the oceans by decomposing plastic, which is the most commonly produced material in the world: Water and dispenser bottles, hoses, plastic bags and plastic films. A single exposure to sunlight is enough to set the decomposition process in motion. And: once this process is triggered, it can no longer be stopped.

Means in plain language: Every plastic particle that enters the oceans is decomposed, forming greenhouse gases and thus further driving climate change.

One step ahead. NOW.

There is only one way and that is to act now. Plastic must be reduced significantly if we want to preserve our environment. We at dermaplastics have made it our mission, together with our partners, to make a contribution against environmental pollution and climate change. Let's take a step in the right direction together. NOW.