Beth Gardiner, author of the forthcoming book Plastic Inc: Sizeable Oil, Big Money and the Plan to Trash Our Future, discovered eight years ago that fossil fuel companies had invested over $180 billion (£130bn) into US plastic plants since 2010. The revelation came while she was consciously trying to reduce her own plastic consumption, a practice she describes as feeling increasingly futile.
Gardiner’s research, detailed in her book set to be published February 26, 2026, reveals a deliberate and sustained effort by the oil and petrochemical industries to expand plastic production, even as awareness of plastic pollution grows. She found that industry leaders, as early as the 1950s and 60s, recognized the greater profitability of disposable plastic compared to reusable alternatives. “They understood the impact, the consequences, and they saw the profit that it offered and that overrode everything else,” Gardiner said.
The industry’s strategy, according to Gardiner, involves shifting responsibility for plastic waste onto consumers rather than addressing the root cause: overproduction. She points to the creation of organizations like Keep America Beautiful in the late 1950s, funded by food, drink, and packaging companies, as an example of this tactic. The group promoted anti-littering campaigns while downplaying the industry’s role in generating the waste.
Gardiner’s investigation extended beyond the United States. In Reserve, Louisiana, she met Robert Taylor, an 80-year-classic activist living near a large plastics plant. Taylor described the pervasive illness in his predominantly Black community, linked to toxic emissions from the facility, which were only revealed through federal action in 2016. In Indonesia, Gardiner witnessed a massive landfill filled with plastic waste, including packaging from brands commonly found in the UK, US, and Europe, potentially originating from mislabeled recycling streams.
The author similarly found that recycling, often presented as a solution to plastic pollution, has been actively promoted by the industry despite its limited effectiveness. Documents and conference transcripts from the 1970s, examined by Gardiner, demonstrate the industry’s awareness of the challenges in making plastic recycling viable. “They pushed so many myths and lies about recycling,” she stated, noting that the practice serves to alleviate consumer guilt and maintain plastic consumption levels.
Plastic production has doubled in the last two decades and is projected to double, or even triple, in the coming years. According to Gardiner, petrochemicals for plastic are expected to be the largest driver of oil demand in the coming decades, providing a crucial revenue stream for oil companies facing a potential decline in demand for traditional fuels. This makes plastic a key component in the industry’s strategy to maintain profitability.
The environmental consequences are significant. In 2019, plastics generated 1.8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 3.4% of total global emissions, according to UN data. Microplastics, created as plastic degrades, have been found in the deepest oceans, on Mount Everest, and within the human body, though the full extent of their health impacts remains under investigation.
Gardiner highlights the industry’s lobbying efforts to resist regulation. Last year, lobbyists actively worked to weaken a global plastics treaty during UN-hosted talks. The UK, post-Brexit, has also diverged from stricter EU regulations on plastic. The US, she notes, faces a particularly challenging landscape with potential rollbacks of environmental regulations under a future administration.
Despite the daunting challenges, Gardiner emphasizes the importance of shifting focus from individual actions to systemic change. “What I’m trying to do with this book is to help people understand the origins of this plastic mess that we’re in, and part of that is understanding who is driving it, and that it’s not us as individuals,” she said. She points to local and state-level initiatives, such as California’s recent expansion of its plastic bag ban and laws holding plastic producers responsible for the lifecycle of their products, as potential models for broader change.
