Beverage bottles, food packages, and shopping bags are among the most common plastics that wind up in garbage bins — and eventually the oceans — after only one use. While the world has long been aware of disposable plastic’s role in environmental pollution, consumers’ appetite for the convenience of use-and-toss plastic is expected to help fuel a 30% increase in plastic production over the next five years, according to coordinated research by a group of academics from the London School of Economics, the Stockholm Environmental Institute and other institutions. (You may be astonished by the size of household waste in 50 countries around the world.)
Proponents of plastics can rightly point to the many plastic products that have become positive contributors to modern life. They’ve made medical devices safer and cheaper to produce, for example. A modern vehicle is lighter and more fuel efficient because plastics have replaced heavier metal components. And you’re likely very close to plastics right now, whether they’re in the mobile device you’re holding or the refrigerator in your kitchen.
But when it comes to single-use disposable plastics, most of which aren’t recycled, the arguments in favor of their benefits are weak compared to the defense of plastics in other applications. It’s impossible to argue any real benefit to a plastic bottle containing eight ounces of commercialized water — unless you are invested in the production, marketing, and distribution of these bottles.
Plastics is a massive global industry, and when investors and analysts see predictions of 30% growth in plastics production in the near future, they see dollar signs. Money made from plastics is everywhere, from the oil and gas companies that provide the raw materials, to the extruders that mold these polymers into bags, boxes, and bottles, to the companies big and small that use the packaging to sell their wares and make them more convenient to carefree consumers.
To identify not the producers of the most single-use plastic products but the individuals, corporations, and national governments most invested in the production of the plastics from which these products are made, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data in “The Plastic Waste Makers Index,” published this year by the Minderoo Foundation, an Australia-based philanthropy. From the same source comes information for this list of the companies that actually produce the most plastic waste around the world.
Click here to see the world’s biggest investors in single-use plastics.
Source: Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
50. Gennady Nikolaevich Timchenko
> Headquartered: N/A
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 20%
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Source: Chung Sung-Jun / Staff / Getty Images
49. Genhero Limited
> Headquartered: N/A
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 20%
Source: Courtesy of Geode Capital Management
48. Geode Capital Management
> Headquartered: United States
> Investor type: Institutional asset manager
> Number of companies invested: 58
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 30%
Source: Sirachai Arunrugstichai / Stringer / Getty Images
47. National Bank Trust
> Headquartered: Russia
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 30%
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Source: silverjohn / Getty Images
46. Islamic Republic of Iran
> Headquartered: Iran
> Investor type: State owner
> Number of companies invested: 6
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 30%
45. Dimensional Fund Advisors
> Headquartered: United States
> Investor type: Institutional asset manager
> Number of companies invested: 89
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 30%
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Source: Agung Parameswara / Stringer / Getty Images
44. Chin’s International Investment
> Headquartered: N/A
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 3
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 30%
Source: Agung Parameswara / Stringer / Getty Images
43. General Organization for Social Insurance
> Headquartered: Saudi Arabia
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 3
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 30%
Source: Carl Court / Staff / Getty Images
42. Jiang Yin Cheng Xing Shi Ye Ji Tuan You Xian Gong Si Gong Hui Wei Yuan Hui
> Headquartered: N/A
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 30%
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Source: Starcevic / E+ via Getty Images
41. Republic of Colombia
> Headquartered: Colombia
> Investor type: State owner
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 30%
Source: Carl Court / Staff / Getty Images
40. Pangestu family
> Headquartered: Indonesia
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 30%
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Source: trabantos / iStock via Getty Images
39. State of Kuwait
> Headquartered: Kuwait
> Investor type: State owner
> Number of companies invested: 5
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 30%
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Source: Justin Sullivan / Staff / Getty Images
38. Kieppe Patrimonial
> Headquartered: Brazil
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 30%
Source: Justin Sullivan / Staff / Getty Images
37. Saudi Industrial Investment
> Headquartered: Saudi Arabia
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 30%
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Source: Carl Court / Staff / Getty Images
36. Yan An Shi Guo Zi Wei
> Headquartered: N/A
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 30%
Source: Matthew Starling / iStock via Getty Images
35. Taif AO
> Headquartered: Russia
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 2
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 40%
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Source: N509FZ, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
34. Shaanxi Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission
> Headquartered: China
> Investor type: State owner
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 40%
Source: master2 / iStock via Getty Images
33. Republic of Azerbaijan
> Headquartered: Azerbaijan
> Investor type: State owner
> Number of companies invested: 2
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 40%
32. Stock Exchange of Thailand
> Headquartered: Thailand
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 5
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 40%
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Source: Mari05 / iStock via Getty Images
31. Government of Japan
> Headquartered: Japan
> Investor type: State owner
> Number of companies invested: 72
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 40%
Source: English: Abasaa日本語: あばさー, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
30. Lotte Holdings
> Headquartered: Japan
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 40%
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Source: GoranQ / Getty Images
29. Republic of Korea
> Headquartered: South Korea
> Investor type: State owner
> Number of companies invested: 16
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 40%
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Source: Diy13 / iStock via Getty Images
28. Kingdom of Thailand
> Headquartered: Thailand
> Investor type: State owner
> Number of companies invested: 4
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 40%
Source: Sergio Delle Vedove / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
27. Credit Suisse Group
> Headquartered: Switzerland
> Investor type: Institutional asset manager
> Number of companies invested: 64
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 40%
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Source: Bjørn Erik Pedersen, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
26. Kingdom of Norway
> Headquartered: Norway
> Investor type: State owner
> Number of companies invested: 71
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 50%
Source: council.gov.ru, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
25. Leonid Viktorovich Mikhelson
> Headquartered: N/A
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 50%
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Source: Dan Kitwood / Staff / Getty Images
24. FMR
> Headquartered: United States
> Investor type: Institutional asset manager
> Number of companies invested: 81
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 50%
Source: Ed Wray / Stringer / Getty Images
23. John Reece
> Headquartered: Monaco
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 50%
Source: Jack Taylor / Stringer / Getty Images
22. Andrew Christopher Currie
> Headquartered: Monaco
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 60%
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Source: Nakarin_thailand / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
21. King Maha Vajiralongkorn
> Headquartered: Thailand
> Investor type: State owner
> Number of companies invested: 2
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 60%
Source: Jack Taylor / Stringer / Getty Images
20. PPH Polymer Products Holdings
> Headquartered: Cyprus
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 60%
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19. Federation of Malaysia
> Headquartered: Malaysia
> Investor type: State owner
> Number of companies invested: 6
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 70%
Source: Sean Gallup / Staff / Getty Images
18. TTWF
> Headquartered: United States
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 70%
Source: Mk2010, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
17. Chang Gung Medical Foundation
> Headquartered: Taiwan
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 3
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 80%
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Source: Ed Wray / Stringer / Getty Images
16. Magna Resources Corp
> Headquartered: Singapore
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 90%
Source: accessindustries.com
15. Access Industries
> Headquartered: United States
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 100%
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Source: Jarek Fethke / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
14. State Street
> Headquartered: United States
> Investor type: Institutional asset manager
> Number of companies invested: 91
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 100%
Source: hadynyah / E+ via Getty Images
13. Republic of India
> Headquartered: India
> Investor type: State owner
> Number of companies invested: 8
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 120%
12. State of Qatar
> Headquartered: Qatar
> Investor type: State owner
> Number of companies invested: 5
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 130%
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Source: Jes Aznar / Stringer / Getty Images
11. Zhejiang Rongsheng Holding Group
> Headquartered: China
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 130%
Source: Jes Aznar / Stringer / Getty Images
10. East Step International Holdings
> Headquartered: Hong Kong
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 160%
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Source: Science History Institute, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
9. James Arthur Ratcliffe
> Headquartered: Monaco
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 180%
Source: Courtesy of Capital Group Companies
8. Capital Group
> Headquartered: United States
> Investor type: Institutional asset manager
> Number of companies invested: 19
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 180%
Source: hapabapa / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
7. BlackRock
> Headquartered: United States
> Investor type: Institutional asset manager
> Number of companies invested: 88
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 190%
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Source: Justin Sullivan / Staff / Getty Images
6. Canopus International
> Headquartered: Thailand
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 220%
Source: Courtesy of The Vanguard Group
5. Vanguard Group
> Headquartered: United States
> Investor type: Institutional asset manager
> Number of companies invested: 97
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 220%
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Source: World Economic Forum from Cologny, Switzerland, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
4. Ambani family
> Headquartered: India
> Investor type: Private institution or individual
> Number of companies invested: 1
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 250%
Source: vwalakte / iStock via Getty Images
3. Emirate of Abu Dhabi
> Headquartered: UAE
> Investor type: State owner
> Number of companies invested: 8
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 450%
2. People’s Republic of China
> Headquartered: China
> Investor type: State owner
> Number of companies invested: 28
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 600%
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Source: MOHAMED HUSSAIN YOUNIS / iStock via Getty Images
1. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
> Headquartered: Saudi Arabia
> Investor type: State owner
> Number of companies invested: 23
> Value share of single-use plastic production: 3,100%
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