Plastics Lifecycle | Chapter 2 – The Fossil Fuel Connection

Plastic Pollution: A Byproduct of Fossil Fuels

When we think of plastic pollution, we think of images of plastic bags on the beach, suffering marine life, and the almost invisible smog of microplastics in our ocean. What often gets overlooked is the fact that conventional plastic is made from fossil fuels, and is a product of the oil and gas industry.

Understanding Fossil Fuels

What are Fossil Fuels?

Fossil fuels are formed over millions of years from the fossils, or remains, of dead animals and plants that were buried under dirt and rock. Heat from inside the earth and pressure from dirt and rock changes these fossils into oil, natural gas and coal. Because it takes millions of years to make or “renew” more fossil fuels, we call them “nonrenewable fuels.” We are currently using the fuels that were made more than 65 million years ago. Once this fuel is gone, it is gone for good.

Types of Fossil Fuels

There are three major forms of fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas. All three were formed many millions of years ago during the time of the dinosaurs.

Oil Extraction and Petroleum Refining

Oil or Petroleum

To find oil and natural gas, companies drill through the earth to deposits deep below the surface. The oil and natural gas are then pumped from below the ground by oil rigs. Before it can be used the petroleum or crude oil must be changed or refined into other products. At oil refineries, crude, thick black oil is split into various types of products through heating. These products include gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, propane gas, ship oil and oil to burn in power plants to make electricity.

Versatility of Oil Derivatives

Oil is also made into many different products from fertilizers and clothes to toothbrushes and plastic bottles. Almost all plastic products come from oil.

Plastic Production Process

How is plastic made?

Plastics are derived from natural, organic materials such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt and, of course, crude oil. Crude oil is a complex mixture of thousands of compounds and needs to be processed before it can be used. The production of plastics begins with the distillation of crude oil in an oil refinery. This separates the heavy crude oil into groups of lighter components, called fractions. Each fraction is a mixture of hydrocarbon chains (chemical compounds made up of carbon and hydrogen), which differ in terms of the size and structure of their molecules. One of these fractions, naphtha, is the crucial compound for the production of plastics.

Plastic Types and Production Methods

Thermoplastics

Examples: Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), Polycarbonate (PC), Polyethylene (PE), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)

Thermosets

Examples: Epoxide (EP), Phenol-formaldehyde (PF), Polyurethane (PUR), Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Unsaturated polyester resins (UP)