Who’s Making the World’s Plastic? 7 Countries, 18 Companies, and a Global Problem

In 2024, just seven countries were responsible for two-thirds of the world’s production of the four most widely used plastic polymers—polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, and polystyrene. China alone accounted for 34% of that output, more than the next six countries combined. A handful of corporations also dominate this industry, with just 18 companies producing over half of the world’s plastic, including China’s Sinopec, ExxonMobil, and Saudi Aramco. As 184 nations meet in Geneva to negotiate the world’s first treaty to tackle plastic pollution, the data highlights where the pressure for reform must start: with the producers.