Plastics, Chemicals, and Everyday Essentials: What They Mean for Our Climate and Future

Look around at the items in your pocket, on your desk, or in your home. Many are made, at least in part, from plastic or other synthetic materials: the casing of your phone, the keys on your laptop, the bottle holding your shampoo, the polyester in your clothes, even the paint on your walls. These everyday essentials have a long journey before they reach store shelves, one that involves manufacturing processes tied to significant carbon emissions.

Because these products are so accessible, thanks to vast national and global supply chains, many people rarely think about how they’re made. Yet, from the food we store to the cars we drive and the medications we take, these materials are everywhere.

While we depend on these products, their production depends on energy-intensive manufacturing processes that release large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere. We won’t stop using phones, synthetic fabrics, or plastics overnight—and the manufacturing processes that create them won’t stop emitting CO₂ tomorrow, either.

The numbers are staggering. Each year, the world produces about 400 million metric tons of plastic, according to the United Nations’ Environment Programme. Plastics alone are forecasted to contribute 19 percent of the global carbon budget by 2040.

Creating these products requires high-energy processes like heating, chemical reactions, and material refining. Most of this energy comes from burning fossil fuels, which releases CO₂ into the atmosphere. While reducing fossil fuel use is necessary, we can’t eliminate it overnight—these materials are deeply integrated into modern life.

Yet, as individuals and nations work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we have more tools than ever to capture or prevent these emissions from entering the atmosphere. The challenge is scaling up these CO₂-reducing technologies across manufacturing, industrial, and power sectors. This effort requires widespread collaboration—across industries, political ideologies, and international borders.

Where We Go from Here

Fortunately, diverse teams of scientists, economists, policymakers, engineers, industry leaders, labor unions, and workers are already working toward this goal. At the Great Plains Institute, our Industrial Innovation & Carbon Management team collaborates with these stakeholders to drive regional and national efforts toward the widespread adoption of industrial innovation and carbon management technologies—essential for achieving midcentury net-zero goals. We partner with federal and regional governments, tribal nations, industry, labor groups, nonprofits, and local communities to ensure that this transition prioritizes people and economic growth.

We’ve gathered insights from experts across industries on how to tackle industrial emissions—allowing us to continue using essential products, protect jobs, and strengthen the domestic economy in a competitive global market.

The path forward requires multiple solutions. Carbon management technologies, industrial efficiency improvements, and alternative materials all play a role in cutting emissions while maintaining product availability. Education is key. Raising awareness about industrial emissions and solutions will drive informed decision-making across industries and communities.

Policymakers, industry leaders, and consumers must work together to support research, development, and implementation of cleaner technologies. Advancing carbon management, low-carbon manufacturing processes, and circular economy approaches will be critical in reducing emissions while sustaining economic growth and job security.

What Can You Do?

The energy and resources behind everyday products often go unnoticed, but their impact on the climate is significant. Addressing climate change requires rethinking not just what we use, but how we make it. The good news? Solutions already exist; it’s now a matter of scaling and deploying them effectively.

While individuals can reduce their reliance on plastics and high-carbon products, the bigger picture requires collective action. With the right policies, investments, and innovations, we can ensure the products we rely on don’t come at the cost of our planet. Advocate for policies that support cleaner manufacturing by contacting elected officials and supporting legislation that promotes industrial innovation technologies. Engage with your community by discussing these issues with friends and neighbors and attending local meetings. Supporting local initiatives that reduce industrial emissions can help build momentum for broader policy changes.

The Industrial Innovation Initiative, led by the Great Plains Institute and the World Resources Institute, has outlined top policy recommendations for industrial decarbonization. To learn more, check out our Industrial Decarbonization Blueprint blog.

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