” A self-reinforcing cycle is formed, creating a vicious circle in between climate modification and plastic pollution,” Wei says.In 2019, plastics generated 3.4 percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, or about 1.8 billion loads, mainly on account of their production and conversion from fossil fuels, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The stiffness of commonly utilized plastics like polyvinyl, polyethylene, and polypropylene chloride decreases by more than 20 percent as temperatures climb up between 23 and 40 ° C, he says.One result of worldwide warming is quicker degeneration of plastics, which in turn results in greater carbon emissions, states Xinfeng Wei, seen here unloading plastic pellets in the polymer materials laboratory at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. “The combined effects of rising temperature level and wetness produce very difficult conditions for these polymers,” Wei says.To take on the obstacle of plastic contamination and climate change, Wei and the co-authors prompted attention and mobilization of efforts across all sectors included in the plastic lifecycle.Reference: “Plastic contamination magnified by a warming climate” by Xin-Feng Wei, Wei Yang and Mikael S. Hedenqvist, 6 March 2024, Nature Communications.DOI: 10.1038/ s41467-024-46127-9.