Closing the Loophole: Plastic fuelling Russia's war

98% of plastic is made from natural organic materials like oil and gas. Ranking in the top three global producers of oil and natural gas. In the context of Russia’s war on Ukraine, purchasing Russian hydrocarbons to make products like plastic is inextricably linked to the funding of the Russian war economy. The question then is whether our current international regulations are effective at responding to this dual problem?

Before the war, Russia’s hydrocarbon industry accounted for roughly 45% of their federal budget, which makes up 14% of global produce or 10.5 million barrels of oil per day. Since 2022, this proportion has fallen due to sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU, the UK and Australia, but recent reports show that export volumes have in fact begun to increase since 2024, signalling the need for even stricter international action. 

Last year, the Zero Waste Alliance Ukraine (ZWAU) conducted a study titled “How Russian Fuel Feeds the World of Plastic: A study of the correlation between fossil fuels and plastic”. The report underlined the vicious cycle of how consuming Russian fuel to make plastic is essentially funding aggression. They conclude that the solution to countering Russian aggression is interconnected with our responsibility to counter plastic pollution, which requires policy steps that go further than the current sanctioning. 

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The ZWAU recommends:

• Diversifying energy supplies away from Russia and other authoritarian regimes, and towards renewable energy

• Pushing for a Global Plastic Treaty

• Creating a more circular economy by building a system on waste minimization, reuse and refill systems, and better recycling infrastructure

The global petrochemical industry consumes around 15% of the world’s oil to make its products. However, this figure could reach closer to 40% by 2030 if consumption patterns of materials like plastic continue. As policymakers look for ways to reduce reliance on Russian fuel, they should also consider how a broader shift away from reliance on the fossil fuel industry can be pursued. 

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For more information contact: info@scarabtrust.org.uk

Image: Factory pollution ships - Image by Chris Leboutillier (ST ref: 1210)