Natural gas is another fossil fuel used in making plastic. Natural gas is formed from the decomposition of organic matter primarily from marine microorganisms. When this organic matter decomposed under anerobic conditions with heat and pressure underground for millions of years, natural gas was formed.

https://safeandsmart.org/middle-school-students/

https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Natural_gas_formation

Natural gas is extracted from rock formations deep under fields and waterways. There is a lot of natural gas in the deep shale rock formations of western PA.

Natural gas is sent to a plant where ethane is separated from methane (used to heat homes and generate electricity). Through a process called “cracking” (heat and pressure), ethane is changed to ethylene which then is converted into ethylene and polyethylene. These natural gas plants, ethane cracker plants, will create polyethylene polymers which then get turned into plastic pellets.

These pellets are shipped to factories. Each factory will melt and mold the pellets into their plastic product.

Sources

• https://thisisplastics.com/plastics-101/how-are-plastics-made/

• https://www.howden.com/en-us/articles/pcog/where-does-crude-oil-come- from#:~:text=The%20Fast%20Facts%20On%20Crude%20Oil%201%20Crude,alongside%20natural%20gas %20and%20saline%20water.%20More%20items

• https://www.bpf.co.uk/plastipedia/how-is-plastic-made.aspx

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas

• https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=what+really+happens+to+plastic+emma+bryce&view=detail&mid=9685D1D17D1A428F7F789685D1D17D1A428F7F78&FORM=VIRE