Increased use of plastics in industries such as packaging and automobiles, among others, can help reduce global carbon emission levels, required to prevent climate change, claimed a study conducted by a consultancy firm, McKinsey and Oko Institute of Germany.

The study, which goes against conventional thinking that use of plastics adds to global warming, said that reduction in carbon emission due to usage of plastics in these industries far exceeds the amount of greenhouse gas emitted during production of plastics.

The findings are based on an analysis that sought to compare carbon emission through use of chemical (including products made out of chemicals such as plastics) and non-chemical products.

For instance, the study said that the use of plastics reduces the weight of automobiles and enables lower emissions by making the vehicles more fuel efficient. This could probably also explain the increasing use of plastics in the automobile sector over the years.

Similarly, in packaging despite a higher production footprint per kilogram of material, but due to its lower weight, use of plastics results in lower overall carbon footprint.

This means that although carbon emission for producing plastic is higher than glass yet use of plastics for packaging allows for lower carbon emission when compared with glass. This is because plastic is lighter than glass.

The study claims that out of all the industrial innovations to reduce carbon emissions, use of plastic products is very efficient.