Common plastics are the first to be found to release greenhouse gases as they break down, according to new research. Because plastic releases greenhouse gases that are not taken into account in current climate change projections, the findings suggest that plastic has a greater impact on the environment than was previously thought.

The study, which was published today in the journal PLOS ONE, found that when plastics are exposed to sunlight, they produce the greenhouse gases methane and ethylene, which are used in everything from clothing to construction.

These greenhouse gases have an effect on sea level, temperatures, and the environment as a whole and are direct causes of climate change. Given the growing presence of plastics in the environment, the findings have significant implications for climate change projections.
David Karl, senior author of the study and Polycarbonate Market at the Center for Microbial Oceanography, stated, "Plastic represents a source of climate-relevant trace gases that is expected to increase as more plastic is produced and accumulated in the environment." Education and Research (C-MORE)

"This source may be significant and has not yet been budgeted for when evaluating global methane and ethylene cycles."

The greenhouse gas-emitting plastics that were tested by the researchers included polycarbonate, acrylic, polypropylene, polystyrene, and low-density polyethylene (LDPE), all of which are widely used in industry.

Polyethylene, the most widely produced and discarded plastic due to its use in plastic bags, was the plastic with the highest rate of greenhouse gas emissions.

These plastics were found to emit greenhouse gases when exposed to light, but they continued to do so when it was dark. This includes plastics that are found in the ocean, which add another way for them to cause harm.
Concerns about plastic's impact on the environment are getting worse, and efforts are being made to cut back, particularly on single-use plastics like straws and bags. The news comes as these concerns are getting worse.

However, there are still a lot of businesses that produce a lot of plastic, and efforts to use less plastic are in conflict with other social issues like veganism.

However, as a result of this information, businesses are likely to be subjected to increased pressure to reduce their use of plastic, and some may even attempt to eliminate plastic entirely.

Lead author Sarah-Jeanne Royer, a postdoctoral scholar at C-MORE, stated, "Considering the amounts of plastic washing ashore on our coastlines and the amounts of plastic exposed to ambient conditions, our finding provides further evidence that we need to stop plastic production at the source, especially single use plastic."