London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 04, 2025

Revealed: The 20 companies producing more than half of world's single-use plastic waste

Revealed: The 20 companies producing more than half of world's single-use plastic waste

The study looked at around 1,000 factories that make the raw materials needed to produce single-use products.

Production capacity for a key component of single-use plastics could grow by more than 30% over the next five years, a report has warned - as a list of companies come under fire for their contribution to the crisis.

The Plastic Waste Makers Index, published by the Australia-based philanthropic Minderoo Foundation, found that 20 energy and chemicals giants alone contribute to 55% of the world's single-use plastic.

Those include ExxonMobil, Dow, and Sinopec.

The study also looked at around 1,000 factories that make the raw materials needed to produce single-use plastics, revealing for the first time the companies at the bottom of the plastic supply chain that make polymers - which are the building blocks of all plastics.

In the next five years, global capacity to produce these polymers for single-use plastic products such as face masks, medical equipment, shopping bags, coffee cups and cling film could grow by more than 30% - and by as much as 400% for individual companies.
Advertisement

That's despite governments increasingly stressing the importance of tackling the climate crisis, to which the report says plastic is a major contributor.

More than 130 million metric tonnes of single-use plastic was thrown away in 2019, almost all of which is burned, buried in landfill, or discarded directly into the environment.

Of all the plastics, they are the most likely to end up in our ocean, where they account for almost all visible pollution, according to the report, and they contain chemical additives such as plasticisers that have been found in humans and are linked to a range of reproductive health problems.

If growth in single-use plastic production continues at current rates, they could account for 5-10% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.


According to the report, the top 20 producers of single-use plastic in 2019 were:

1. ExxonMobil - 5.9%

2. Dow - 5.6%

3. Sinopec - 5.3%

4. Indorama Ventures - 4.6%

5. Saudi Aramco - 4.3%

6. PetroChina - 4%

7. LyondellBasell - 3.9%

8. Reliance Industries - 3.1%

9. Braskem - 3%

10. Alpek SA de CV - 2.3%

11. Borealis - 2.2%

12. Lotte Chemical - 2.1%

13. Ineos - 2%

14. Total - 1.9%

15. Jiangsu Hailun Petrochemical - 1.6%

16. Far Eastern New Century - 1.6%

17. Formosa Plastics Corporation - 1.6%

18. China Energy Investment Group - 1.5%

19. PTT - 1.5%

20. China Resources - 1.3%

The Minderoo Foundation is calling for petrochemicals companies to disclose their "plastic waste footprint" and begin producing plastics from recycled plastic waste rather than fossil fuels.

In emailed comments, ExxonMobil said it "shares society's concern about plastic waste and agrees it must be addressed", requiring a collaborative effort between business, governments, green groups and consumers.

It added that it was taking action to address plastic waste by increasing recyclability, as well as supporting efforts to recover more plastic waste and working on advanced recycling solutions that could help lower greenhouse gas emissions linked to products.

The report, developed with energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie and researchers at think tanks and universities, said nearly 60% of the commercial finance for the single-use plastic industry derives from 20 global banks that have loaned almost $30bn (£21bn) for polymer production since 2011.

The top three contributors are Barclays ($3.1bn), HSBC ($3.1bn), and Bank of America ($2.9bn).

The study also looked at which countries generate the most single-use plastic waste based on per head of population, with Australia ranking first.

The US was second and the UK came in fourth, with more than 40kg of plastic waste generated per person per year, according to the authors.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×