Have you ever wondered ‘what is plastic made of?’ or ‘is plastic really made of oil?’ Well, the short answer is yes. Most plastic is made from fossil fuels, including oil and natural gas.
That means the plastic crisis and the climate crisis are more closely linked than many people realise.
How is plastic made?
Plastic starts its life as fossil fuels – either crude oil or natural gas. These raw materials are extracted from the earth, transported to refineries, and turned into the building blocks of plastic through a process called cracking. This involves heating the fossil fuels to break them down into smaller molecules like ethylene and propylene. These are then used to make polymers – the core ingredients of plastic products.
In the UK and around the world, more and more plastic is being made from natural gas. Fracking, a controversial method of extracting gas, has become a major source of the raw materials for plastic, particularly in the United States. That’s bad news for communities near fracking sites – and for the planet.
Plastic is a fossil fuel in disguise
Plastic isn’t just made from fossil fuels – it’s made with them. And that hurts the climate even if the plastic itself isn’t burned.
It starts at the wellhead: fracking for gas can release large amounts of methane, a potent climate pollutant, and gas flaring (where companies burn off excess gas) pumps CO₂ straight into the atmosphere.
Then there’s the energy-hungry refining and manufacturing process, and finally, the fact that a lot of plastic ends up in incinerators, releasing even more carbon pollution.
The politics behind plastic
It’s not just science though – it’s politics too. As countries start to move away from burning fossil fuels for energy, big oil and gas companies are turning to plastic as a backup plan. They’re betting on plastic production to keep profits flowing – even as the world cries out for less waste, not more.
These companies are pouring millions into lobbying efforts to block or weaken laws that would reduce plastic waste. Right now, they’re trying to derail a potential global treaty to tackle plastic pollution.
It’s a classic case of powerful polluters putting profits before people and planet, and it needs to stop. If tobacco companies aren’t invited to shape health policy, why should fossil fuel companies get a say on environmental action?
