An outright ban on plastics could cause even more harm to the environment and lead to triple the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.

完全禁用塑料可能对环境造成更大的危害，导致温室气体排放量增加至之前的三倍。

That's the finding of experts from Herriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, who say that replacing plastic with alternate materials such as metal and glass won't help the environment.

The team say this is because the manufacturing of these replacements could double global energy consumption.

Resources required to process these replacement materials would lead to more energy consumption and more greenhouse gas.

Campaigners have called for reductions or bans, with recent programs such as the BBC's Blue Planet highlighting the impact of plastics on the world's oceans.

But the team of forty academics said arguments surrounding a reduction or ban are 'often shortsighted and not based on facts'.

Professor David Bucknall, who led the research, said that transportation of consumer goods in plastic packaging means fewer vehicles because plastic is lightweight.

Therefore burning less fuel and greatly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.