How many plastic bags are made from a barrel of crude oil?

Answer 1

Approximately 20 plastic bags can be produced from the petroleum derived from one barrel of crude oil. This calculation is based on the fact that about 2% of the world's oil supply is used to make plastic products, including bags. Given that a barrel of crude oil yields around 19 gallons of gasoline, and each gallon can produce about 1 pound of plastic, the estimate is that one barrel can produce around 20 plastic bags.

Answer 2

To make plastics, crude oil and natural gas are refined into ethane, propane and hundreds of other petrochemical products. The Ethane and propane is then cracked into ethylene and propylene, using high-temperature furnaces. A Catalyst is then combined with ethylene or propylene in a reactor, resulting in fluff, a powdered material (polymer) resembling laundry detergent. Fluff is combined with additives in a continuous blender. Polymer is fed to an extruder where it is melted. Melted plastic is cooled then fed to a pelletize that cuts the product into small pellets which are ready to be shipped to the customers.

Answer 3

If you fill the bottle one third full of oil (33%), that's the amount of oil needed to make one plastic bottle. this is based on not material to make the bottle but how much oil is used to manufacture, ship and store the bottle.

It doesn't matter what size the bottle is. One third of it is the amount.

Answer 4

a lot! But seriously, depends on how you count and what you account for. If you do a simple carbon count, then the amount crude needed is about 1.3x the amount of plastic (depends on the plastic made and the quality of the oil). Then do you count for the oil used to form the monomers, to create the catalyst, to form the plastic. Also one barrel of crude is used to make gasoline, diesel, kerosene and other fuels. The waste product of the distillation of crude oil is then used to make tar, plastics, etc. So another answer could be one barrel of crude makes one pound plastic. Good luck in finding an exact answer.

Answer 5

Approximately 20,000 plastic bags can be made from the amount of crude oil that would fill one barrel.

Answer 6

lots can.. but we waste to much of it

Answer 7

42 US gallons in each barrel of oil.