These 100 Companies produce 90% of the World’s Single Use Plastic
Plastic is everywhere around us and it seems difficult to avoid the use of plastic in our daily lives, however there are many resources that make this possible nowadays and many “plastic-free campaigns” that remind people about the importance of giving up disposable plastics.
The use of plastics has grown up extensively in the last few decades due to its acceptability to consumers and organizations as a means of fulfilling various purposes. The durability, flexibility, lightweight, and cost affordability are some of the important factors that increase the demand for plastics in industrial applications and consumer goods. Most of the plastics produced today are single-use which means it is neither reusable or recyclable.
A lot of manufacturing plants are busy producing single-use plastic (SUP) containers and packaging materials that eventually add up to wastage after use and disposal, like single-use plastic bottles. Plastics are not biodegradable and, if not disposed of correctly, end up pilling in land, rivers and oceans causing harm to millions of species and affecting the human community with health issues.
The composition, usage, and waste management issues related to plastic materials have raised sustainability and health issues all over the world which need immediate resolution. Here is a list of 100 companies that contribute 90% of the single-use plastic waste generated across the globe. Although more than 300 manufacturers are operating globally in plastic production, these 100 polymer producer companies are most responsible for plastic pollution in the world.
Related: Plastics in the Oceans (Fact Sheet)
List of top 100 Polymer Producers
| Rank | Polymer Producer |
| 1 | ExxonMobil |
| 2 | Sinopec |
| 3 | Dow |
| 4 | Indorama Ventures |
| 5 | Saudi Aramco |
| 6 | PetroChina |
| 7 | LyondellBasell |
| 8 | Reliance Industries |
| 9 | Braskem |
| 10 | Alpek SA de CV |
| 11 | Borealis |
| 12 | Lotte Chemical |
| 13 | INEOS |
| 14 | Total |
| 15 | Jiangsu Hailun Petrochemical |
| 16 | Far Eastern New Century |
| 17 | Formosa Plastics Corporation |
| 18 | China Energy Investment Group |
| 19 | PTT |
| 20 | China Resources |
| 21 | Nova Chemicals Corporation |
| 22 | Siam Cement Group |
| 23 | Phillips 66 |
| 24 | Zhejiang Wankai |
| 25 | Sumitomo Chemical |
| 26 | Jiangyin Chengxing Industrial Group |
| 27 | Chevron Corporation |
| 28 | Hanwha Chemical |
| 29 | China Coal |
| 30 | Rongsheng Group |
| 31 | Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation |
| 32 | SIBUR |
| 33 | Abu Dhabi National Oil Company |
| 34 | GAIL India |
| 35 | LG Chem |
| 36 | Westlake Chemical Corporation |
| 37 | Mitsui Chemicals |
| 38 | Sasol |
| 39 | Zhejiang Hengyi Group |
| 40 | Eni |
| 41 | Yanchang Group |
| 42 | Repsol |
| 43 | Indian Oil Corporation |
| 44 | Nan Ya Plastics Coporation |
| 45 | SK Innovation Co |
| 46 | Oil and Natural Gas Corporation |
| 47 | Octal |
| 48 | JBF Industries |
| 49 | MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas |
| 50 | Bakhtar Petrochemical |
| 51 | Shell |
| 52 | Neo Group |
| 53 | Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd |
| 54 | China National Offshore Oil Corporation |
| 55 | Tasnee |
| 56 | Eastern Petrochemical Company |
| 57 | Qatar Petroleum |
| 58 | Shinkong |
| 59 | Sahara International Petrochemical |
| 60 | Formosa Chemicals and Fibre Corporation |
| 61 | Korea Petrochemical Industrial |
| 62 | Gatron Industries |
| 63 | Equate Petrochemical Company |
| 64 | Baofeng |
| 65 | National Petrochemical Company (Saudi Arabia) |
| 66 | PT Chandra Asri Petrochemical |
| 67 | PKN Orlen |
| 68 | Dhunseri Petrochem |
| 69 | Bazan Group |
| 70 | Daelim Group |
| 71 | KAP Industrial Holdings |
| 72 | Petroleos Mexicanos |
| 73 | Pucheng Clean Energy |
| 74 | Qatar Petrochemical Company |
| 75 | TK Chemical |
| 76 | Saudi Kayan |
| 77 | Oriental Energy |
| 78 | Jam Petrochemical Company |
| 79 | Nizhnekamskneftekhim |
| 80 | Prime Polymer |
| 81 | Yansab |
| 82 | Petronas |
| 83 | Amir Kabir Petrochemical Company |
| 84 | State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic |
| 85 | Henan Coal Chemical Industry Group |
| 86 | Fude Energy |
| 87 | USI Group |
| 88 | Ecopetrol |
| 89 | Idemitsu Kosan |
| 90 | Kazanorgsintez |
| 91 | HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd |
| 92 | Pan Asia PET Resin |
| 93 | Koksan |
| 94 | Novapet |
| 95 | Xingxing |
| 96 | Sanyuan |
| 97 | North Huajin |
| 98 | Shahid Tondgooian Petrochemical |
| 99 | Dragon Special Resin |
| 100 | Advanced Petrochemical |
Source: The Plastic Waste Makers Index
The rank of the companies in the list is decided based on the total single-use plastic waste generated including both flexible form and rigid form. If we go for a detailed data analysis, we will find that the companies which hold the topmost ranks in the list contribute most of the plastic waste in flexible format single-use plastic and less amount of rigid form of single-use plastic waste.
The company which ranks fourth in the list, however, generates a much higher volume of rigid format waste as compared to flexible format. There are companies on the list that produce either flexible or rigid SUP waste but not both types. The first 25 companies ranked in the above list are the major contributors to industrial plastic waste as compared to the rest. The contribution to single-use plastic waste by the topmost (rank -1) company is about 96% higher than the lowermost (rank-100) company.
Related: Could Technology Be the Answer to Saving Our Oceans from Plastic Pollution?
Conclusion
The single-use plastic forms a major part of daily use but its harmful effects are a matter of great concern today. Single-use plastics are not recycled or destroyed after end-use because they are not biodegradable. It poses a great threat to our environment and ecosystem as it keeps accumulating in landfills and water bodies. The manufacturers of single-use plastics must act responsibly to protect the environment and develop plastic alternatives or recyclable plastics catering to the needs of consumers.
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