Extended Data Fig. 3: Net traded GHG emissions of plastics plotted against the GDP from 1995 to 2015.
From: Growing environmental footprint of plastics driven by coal combustion
Net traded GHG emissions of plastics plotted against the GDP from 1995 to 2015. Net traded GHG emissions of plastics were calculated by the difference of the plastics-related GHG emissions from a production and a consumption perspective (which equals the difference of the plastics-related GHG emissions of exports and imports). A positive value means that a region exports more plastics (and GHG emissions related to the production of the exported plastics) than it imports. In contrast, a negative value means that a country imports more plastics (and GHG emissions related to the production of the imported plastics) than it exports. All high-income regions except South Korea are net importer of plastics-related GHG emissions, meaning their plastics-related GHG emissions are higher from a consumption than production perspective. Vice versa, most low- and middle-income regions are net exporter of plastic-related GHG emissions. The same trend can be observed for PM health impacts.
