Food Packaging — Emissions (CO2eq) in Northern America

Northern America: Food Packaging — Emissions (CO2eq) was 25,135 kt in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
25,135 kt
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
7th
of 32 groups
All-time high
55,495 kt
in 1997
All-time low
22,054 kt
in 2020
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Food Packaging — Emissions (CO2eq) in Northern America, 1990–2023

020.0k40.0k60.0k1990200620231990: 41.3k kt1991: 48.5k kt1992: 40.7k kt1993: 38.8k kt1994: 36.9k kt1995: 53.5k kt1996: 53.6k kt1997: 55.5k kt1998: 46.3k kt1999: 44.3k kt2000: 47.3k kt2001: 46.2k kt2002: 35.8k kt2003: 36.0k kt2004: 35.6k kt2005: 35.0k kt2006: 33.8k kt2007: 36.8k kt2008: 35.9k kt2009: 30.2k kt2010: 31.2k kt2011: 29.6k kt2012: 27.9k kt2013: 26.9k kt2014: 29.0k kt2015: 28.2k kt2016: 27.4k kt2017: 24.1k kt2018: 23.1k kt2019: 22.5k kt2020: 22.1k kt2021: 24.3k kt2022: 25.1k kt2023: 25.1k kt

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in kt.

Analysis

Northern America recorded 25,135 kt for food packaging — emissions (co2eq) in 2023.

That represents a change of down 6.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, food packaging — emissions (co2eq) in Northern America peaked at 55,495 kt in 1997 and was at its lowest, 22,054 kt, in 2020.

That places Northern America 7th out of 32 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.

Food Packaging — Emissions (CO2eq) in Northern America, year by year

Annual values for Food Packaging — Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) in Northern America, 1990 to 2023.
Year kt Change
1990 41,270 kt —
1991 48,542 kt +17.6%
1992 40,682 kt -16.2%
1993 38,815 kt -4.6%
1994 36,899 kt -4.9%
1995 53,472 kt +44.9%
1996 53,617 kt +0.3%
1997 55,495 kt +3.5%
1998 46,284 kt -16.6%
1999 44,288 kt -4.3%
2000 47,252 kt +6.7%
2001 46,223 kt -2.2%
2002 35,844 kt -22.5%
2003 35,999 kt +0.4%
2004 35,553 kt -1.2%
2005 35,011 kt -1.5%
2006 33,794 kt -3.5%
2007 36,764 kt +8.8%
2008 35,851 kt -2.5%
2009 30,185 kt -15.8%
2010 31,223 kt +3.4%
2011 29,635 kt -5.1%
2012 27,860 kt -6.0%
2013 26,923 kt -3.4%
2014 29,004 kt +7.7%
2015 28,196 kt -2.8%
2016 27,440 kt -2.7%
2017 24,120 kt -12.1%
2018 23,120 kt -4.1%
2019 22,518 kt -2.6%
2020 22,054 kt -2.1%
2021 24,348 kt +10.4%
2022 25,135 kt +3.2%
2023 25,135 kt +0.0%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Food Packaging — Emissions (CO2eq) in Northern America changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1995 +44.9% 36,899 kt 53,472 kt

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 45,936 kt 36,899 kt 55,495 kt 10
2000s 37,248 kt 30,185 kt 47,252 kt 10
2010s 27,004 kt 22,518 kt 31,223 kt 10
2020s 24,168 kt 22,054 kt 25,135 kt 4

Countries ranked near Northern America

  1. 4 Russian Federation 12,397 kt compare
  2. 5 Japan 7,283 kt compare
  3. 6 Brazil 5,313 kt compare
  4. 6 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 396.75 kt compare
  5. 7 Germany 5,293 kt compare
  6. 7 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 193.98 kt compare
  7. 8 South Africa 4,570 kt compare
  8. 9 United Republic of Tanzania 103.45 kt compare
  9. 9 Australia and New Zealand 4,304 kt compare
  10. 10 Australia 4,180 kt compare
  11. 10 Melanesia 69.37 kt compare

See the full ranking of 168 places →

More climate change data for Northern America

All data for Northern America →

Frequently asked questions

What is food packaging — emissions (co2eq) in Northern America?
Food packaging — emissions (co2eq) in Northern America was 25,135 kt in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest food packaging — emissions (co2eq) recorded in Northern America?
The highest recorded value was 55,495 kt in 1997.
What is the lowest food packaging — emissions (co2eq) recorded in Northern America?
The lowest recorded value was 22,054 kt in 2020.
How does Northern America rank for food packaging — emissions (co2eq)?
Northern America ranks 7th out of 32 groups with data for 2023.
Is food packaging — emissions (co2eq) rising or falling in Northern America?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Northern America data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Food Packaging — Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Food Packaging — Emissions (CO2eq) in Northern America. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 27 September 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/food-packaging-emissions-co2eq-ar5/northern-america/

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About this data

Indicator
Food Packaging — Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5)
Unit
kt
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
168 places, 5,039 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

The FAOSTAT domain on Emissions from Pre- and post- agricultural production includes the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and related activity data, generated from pre- and post-agriculture production stages of the agri-food systems. Data are computed following the Tier 1 methods of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National greenhouse gas (GHG) Inventories (IPCC, 1996; 1997; 2000; 2002; 2006; 2014). The domain includes methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and CO2 equivalent (CO2eq) emissions from the above activities as well as the aggregate fluorinated gases (F-gases) emissions. Estimates are available by country, with global coverage and are updated annually.The FAOSTAT domain disseminates information estimates of CH4, N2O, CO2 emissions, F-gases, their aggregates in CO2eq in units of kilotonnes (kt, or 10^6 kg), and the underlying activity data. CO2eq emissions are computed by using the IPCC Fifth Assessment report global warming potentials, AR5 (IPCC, 2014). Data are available for most countries and territories, for standard FAOSTAT regional aggregations, and for Annex I and non-Annex I country groups.