Petrochemicals, used in plastics, fertilizers and clothing, will account for more than one-third of the growth in world oil demand by 2030, according to a report. By 2050, they will be the biggest driver of oil demand.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. Pillai
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Plastics and other petrochemical products will be a major driver of global oil demand in coming decades, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report.
Petrochemicals will account for more than one-third of the growth in world oil demand by 2030, and nearly half of growth by 2050, the IEA said. More natural gas will also be used.
Petrochemicals would therefore become the largest driver of global oil demand — ahead of cars, planes and trucks.
IEA head Fatih Birol said: "Petrochemicals are one of the key blind spots in the global energy debate, especially given the influence they will exert on future energy trends."
Addressing the key challenge
Demand for plastics has increased ten-fold since the early 1970s, and doubled since 2000.
Nearly 27 percent of current global oil demand goes to vehicles, although that figure is expected to fall to 22 percent by 2050 due to a combination of improved vehicle efficiency, electrification, public transport use and alternative fuels.
Microplastics: Our daily companions
Tiny pieces of plastic, or microplastics, are everywhere — despite potentially harmful effects on the environment and human health. Here are just a few of the products in our day-to-day life that contain microplastics.
Image: picture alliance/JOKER/A. Stein
Plastic in your mouth
Microplastics are defined as smaller than 5 milimeters in diameter. But these tiny particles accumulate in the sea, can enter the food chain, and are even found in the air. Personal care products containing microplastics, such as toothpaste, represent one of the most common intentional uses of microplastics in our daily lives.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Sauer
Cleaning your skin with plastic
Some cosmetic products can contain as much plastic added as the amount of plastic in which they are packaged, experts indicate. Exfoliating daily washes very often use of microplastics, often termed "micro-beads," which then get flushed into the household wastewater stream.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/Y. Mok
Mmm, plastic
Via wastewater, microplastics reach the oceans, where they move enter the food chain through feeding zooplankton. In 2017, researchers found that 25 percent of marine fish tested in markets in Indonesia and California had plastic and textile fibers in their guts. Research is still lacking as to whether consuming microplastics through fish harms humans.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Anka Agency International
Plastic condiment
Several studies published in 2017 showed that microplastics have also been found in sea salt from the United States, Europe and China. It's not surprising, considering how plastic debris represent between 60 to 80 percent of the total marine waste, and that up to 12 million tons of plastic waste ends up in the ocean every year.
Image: picture alliance/Bildagentur-online/Tetra
No way to escape
Beside microplastics in seafood like fish, shrimp and mussels, scientists point to other foods, such as honey. In the recently adopted European Union plastics strategy, honey was mentioned as one of the food products containing microplastics — to motivate a push toward a ban.
Image: Colourbox
Wearing plastics
Aside from micro-beads in hygiene products, synthetic textiles also release a vast amount of tiny plastic fibers into wastewater. Researchers found that a typical 6-kilogram (13-pound) washing load of acrylic-fabric items (like fluffy blankets) generates more than 700,000 individual fibers. Synthetic fabrics account for around a third of ocean microplastics.
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Dirty wheels
Vehicles tires are also a main source releasing microplastics into the environment. Tires are made of synthetic polymers mixed with rubber, which grinds down when used. This generates microplastics that are either blown around by the wind or washed away by rain. Norwegian and Swedish researchers agree that a large proporation of particles found in the sea come from car tires.
Image: Colourbox/Akhararat
Open the tap, and ... microplastics
Microplastics have also been found in tap water. In an analysis of tap water samples from countries around the world, more than 80 percent were contaminated with some amount of plastic fibers. If synthetic fibers are in tap water, they are also likely to be in a number of other basic foodstuffs, like bread.
Image: Imago/Westend61
No, not my beer!
And yes, if tap water contains microplastics, beer could very well also be contaminated. A 2014 study found plastic particles in a total of 24 German beers - but variability in the results was high, and further research would needed for verification, the German Environment Agency has pointed out. In any case, cheers for now.
Image: picture alliance/PIXSELL/Z. Basic
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The IEA projections suggest that global efforts to combat climate change and preserve the health of the world's oceans are doomed unless drastic action on the use and reuse of petrochemical-derived products is addressed.
"The combination of a growing global economy, rising population, and technological development will translate into an increasing demand for petrochemical products," IEA projected.
Advanced economies use up to 20 times more plastic than developing economies on a per capita basis.
While advanced economies slowly move to reduce and reuse plastics, much of that impact will be offset by plastic use in emerging economies such as India.
"While substantial increases in recycling and efforts to curb single-use plastics are underway, especially in Europe, Japan and Korea, the impact these efforts can have on demand for petrochemicals is far outweighed by sharply increasing plastic consumption in emerging economies," IEA said.
