Seven countries produce majority of world’s plastics

Amidst the ongoing global plastics treaty negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, a new report has revealed that only seven countries are responsible for nearly two-thirds of the world’s plastic production.

Join the Premium Times WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.

Open in WhatsApp

The report, which is largely based on analysis of databases of Eunomia, highlights the disproportionate role a few countries and companies play in the lifecycle of plastics—production, design and disposal.
According to the report, researched by Zero Carbon Analytics and published on Wednesday, China, the United States, and Saudi Arabia top the list of high plastics producers globally. It indicated that these three countries alone account for more than half of global plastic output.

“Just seven countries were responsible for 66% of global plastics production in 2024, based on data from Eunomia, an environmental consultancy,” the report said.

The release of the report ahead of the final verdict on the ongoing renewed treaty talks on plastics pollution in Geneva, underscores the concentration of global plastic production—both in terms of geography and corporate control.

On Tuesday, nearly 400 participants, including negotiators from over 175 countries reconvened in Geneva for what could be the final round of talks to forge a legally binding global agreement on plastic pollution. But deep divisions persist.

Concerns have emerged from a coalition of “High Ambition Countries,” including several African and Pacific Island nations, advocating for strong upstream measures such as caps on plastic production and a phase-out of toxic additives.

Also, these nations want a situation where the final text that would be adopted includes robust financial mechanisms for poorer countries, enforceable provisions, and clear national action plans.

Stay Ahead with Premium Times

Add as a preferred source on Google

Key findings

However, this new report shows that while over 90 countries have expressed support for reducing plastic production to sustainable levels, a small but powerful group, led by Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Iran, seems to continue to downplay any measures that would cap or limit production.

The report highlighted that three of the leading opponents of the INC treaty—Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Russia—rank among the top 11 plastic producers globally.

This disparity, experts said, has raised concerns that the interests of a few fossil fuel-dependent economies could hinder collective efforts to tackle plastic pollution.

“The harms of plastic pollution are shared globally, but the responsibility for its production is highly concentrated,” the report noted.

“Subsidy dynamics”

The report also emphasised the role of government subsidies in plastic production.

Based on the data reviewed, authors of the report identified that there are three main mechanisms of government subsidies for the plastic-producing industry–price setting, policies such as tax credits and rebates, and tax exemptions.

“Eunomia’s analysis shows that the top 15 countries producing the largest volume of plastics collectively provided $26.4 billion in subsidies for plastics feedstocks in 2022,” the report said.

It noted that feedstocks are the raw materials from oil refining and gas processing used to make plastics, and that just three countries – China, Saudi Arabia and Germany – account for 80 per cent of that total.

Corporate Power in the Plastic Chain

The report also identifies the role of major corporations in driving plastic production, noting that just 18 companies are responsible for more than half of all plastic polymer output, with oil giants ExxonMobil and Sinopec alone contributing over 10 per cent.

Other top producers identified include LyondellBasell, Saudi Aramco, and PetroChina, which together with the top two make up nearly a quarter of global plastic polymer production.

Many of these companies are closely linked to state-owned oil and gas sectors, reinforcing the political resistance to limiting production, the experts argued.

Treaty Talks at a Crossroads

Over the past three years, negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty have become increasingly contentious. For instance, the negotiations meeting in Busan, South Korea, last year saw a coalition of oil and gas-producing countries block proposals to include production caps in the treaty framework.

READ ALSO: At UNEP’s Geneva conference, giant sculpture reimagines plastic pollution as public health emergency

Instead, these countries are said to have argued for a focus on consumption and recycling, which critics say are inadequate without addressing the root cause of plastic proliferation across natural ecosystems.

At the ongoing conference in Geneva, delegates are enthusiastic that the outcome of the negotiations will translate to real progress and impacts.