Strategies for synergistic reduction of plastic leakage and greenhouse gas emissions in China

The plastics industry is now confronting the intertwined challenges of environmental leakage and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Policy measures implemented to reduce environmental leakage or GHG emissions may have a mutually reinforcing reduction effect. However, the extent of this synergistic reduction has not been fully explored. Here we systematically analyze the material metabolism, environmental leakage, and GHG emissions associated with 14 plastic types in China over the period 1992–2021, and modelled the synergistic emissions reduction potentials and relative cost-effectiveness of these plastics under 14 scenarios between 2021 and 2060.