20 Companies Responsible for Half of World’s Single-Use Plastic

And a pair of U.S. companies leads the way.

A new study suggests that a small number of companies is behind the majority of the world’s single-use plastic.

The analysis, conducted by Australian nonprofit Minderoo, said just 20 companies account for 55% of those plastics.

And the top two companies on the list are American: oil and gas giant Exxon Mobil and chemical producer Dow.

Single-use plastics, such as food containers, plastic bags and packaging materials, are a frequent target of environmentalists.

They require carbon-intensive petrochemicals to make, and they linger in landfills and waterways long after they’re discarded.

And the problem is likely to grow: plastics manufacturing capacity could grow by more than 30% worldwide in coming years.

ExxonMobil responded that it shares the concern about plastic waste and is working on developing a more recyclable plastic.

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