Plastic, Plastic Everywhere

Beth Gardiner’s new book, Plastic Inc., examines an industry that largely operates out of sight but shapes human health, pollution and warming. She identifies corporate players, including Exxon Mobil and Saudi Aramco, that are working to expand plastic use (both companies say they are working to improve recycling technologies and make plastic more sustainable).

Gardiner highlights how the fossil fuel and petrochemical sectors have reversed the usual supply-and-demand dynamic. Ethane produced by fracking, once burned off as waste, was turned into polyethylene, the world’s most common plastic, creating a new revenue stream that drives more production.

The industry’s long-running strategy, she finds, pairs public claims of concern with aggressive resistance to regulation. Historical planning for disposability dates back decades, and marketing that frames the problem as one of litter or individual behavior has gone hand in hand with lobbying against laws that might reduce plastic sales.

plastic, plastic pollution, exxon mobil, saudi aramco, petrochemical sector, fracking, ethane, polyethylene, recycling, lobbying