What are Plastics?
Plastics is the term commonly used to describe a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that are used in a huge and growing range of applications.
Table of Contents
Introduction To Plastics
Plastic has become an inseparable and integral part of our lives. The amount of plastics consumed annually has been growing steadily. Its low density, strength, user-friendly designs, fabrication capabilities, long life, low weight and low cost are the factors behind such phenomenal growth.
Plastic waste is very visible as it contributes to a large volume of the total solid wastes. Precisely because of their large visibility plastic wastes have been viewed as a serious solid waste problem.
The growth in the use of plastic is due to its beneficial properties which include:
Plastics production also involved the use of potentially harmful chemicals which are added as stabilizers or colourants. Many of these have not undergone environmental risk assessment and their impact on human health and the environment is currently uncertain.
Such an example is phthalates which are used in the manufacture of PVC. PVC has in the past been used in toys for young children and there have been concerns that phthalates may be released when these toys are sucked. Risk assessment of the effects of phthalates on the environment is currently being carried out. The disposal of plastics products also contributes significantly to their environmental impact.
Most plastics are non-degradable and they may take a long time to break down once they are landfilled. With more and more plastic products, particularly plastics packaging, being disposed of soon after their purchase, the landfill space required by plastics waster is a growing concern.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Q1
The benefits of plastics: the production criteria are durable, low cost, water-resistant, lower energy and heavy chemicals and are lightweight. Disadvantages of using plastics are, they pollute our environment. They pose a danger to wildlife.
Q2
The properties of plastic are resistant to rust and chemically inert. They have low coefficient of thermal expansion and have strong thermal and electric insulating properties. Plastic benefits are very good water-resistant and have good adhesivity. Plastic production is solid, good and cheap.
Q3
Toxic chemicals leach out of plastic and are present virtually in everybody’s blood and tissue. Exposure to them is related to tumors, birth defects, compromised immunity, disturbance of the endocrine system and other disorders.
Q4
Plastics serve like a sponge, soaking up many ocean-borne toxic chemicals and pollutants. We release these into the atmosphere when we break down, as well as the chemicals used to give them their properties, such as colour, which in effect can be highly toxic.
Q5
Human bodies absorb chemicals which are applied to plastics. Any of these substances have been found to modify hormones or other possible effects on human health. Wildlife may be harmed or killed by plastic waste, contaminated with chemicals and sometimes eaten by marine animals.
Q6
Plastic has many direct economic advantages and can contribute to resource efficiency. Through rising shelf life, it decreases food waste, and its relatively low weight decreases fuel consumption for goods transport. Estimates show that by 2050 the ocean would have more plastic, by weight, than fish.
Q7
Plastic contamination causes harmful contaminants that cause damage to humans, animals and plants. This can take hundreds or even thousands of years for plastic to break down, so the long-lasting environmental damage. It affects all food chain organisms from tiny species such as plankton through to whales.
Q8
Toxic chemicals leach out of plastic and can be contained in almost everybody’s blood and tissue. Exposure to them is related to cancer, birth defects, compromised immunity, disturbance of the endocrine and other disorders.
The Global plastics production forecast 2025-2050 (Statista) says that by 2030 the world will produce 483 million tons of thermoplastics (the biggest group of plastic materials), and by 2040 it will be even more, with 564 million tons of plastic. While plastic has technical properties that cannot be reached with other materials such as textiles, paper, or metals, plastic is made from non-renewable resources, and its manufacturing, as well as its disposal, can cause serious harm to the environment. In this article, we give an overview of the plastics industry, how plastic harms the environment, and how the plastics industry could reduce carbon emissions from plastic production and disposal.
Plastic is lightweight and has – depending on the granulate – high flexibility and durability, which makes it a very efficient material to use in many everyday appliances.
Plastic is important for several reasons. First, it is a durable and versatile material that can be molded into various shapes and sizes, making it suitable for various applications. Its flexibility allows for innovative designs and functionalities in industries such as packaging, construction, automotive, electronics, healthcare, and more.
Second, plastic is cost-effective to produce. Its manufacturing process is generally efficient and less expensive than other materials like metal or glass. This cost advantage makes plastic accessible to many consumers and businesses, contributing to economic growth and development.
Third, plastic packaging plays a crucial role in preserving and protecting products. Plastic packaging helps extend the shelf life of food, beverages, and other perishable goods by providing a barrier against moisture, air, and contaminants. This is especially important for the pharmaceutical industry. It also reduces transportation costs due to its lightweight nature, resulting in fuel efficiency and lower carbon emissions.
With so many advantages, even environmentally, why is plastic bad for the environment? Nearly every piece of plastic begins as a fossil fuel. Plastic is made through a process called polymerization, where monomers (building blocks) are chemically bonded together to form long chains called polymers. Monomers are typically derived from petrochemicals like crude oil or natural gas. The plastic manufacturing process releases greenhouse gases directly into the atmosphere.
The plastic industry is a huge, fast-growing industry. New plants for making granulates are built in several countries in the world. The US uses gas derived from fracking, which comes with even higher environmental costs than standard gas exploitation methods.
The Center for International Environmental Law about CO2 emissions from plastic production and use:
“If plastic production and use grow as currently planned, by 2030, these emissions could reach 1.34 gigatons per year—equivalent to the emissions released by more than 295 new 500-megawatt coal-fired power plants. By 2050, the cumulation of these greenhouse gas emissions from plastic could reach over 56 gigatons—10–13 percent of the entire remaining carbon budget.”
If plastic waste is discarded non-properly, plastic waste is a huge environmental problem This is not just a problem for the biodiversity of systems due to animals confusing plastics with food; there are also concerns about microplastics being potentially toxic to the environment. Meanwhile, microplastics can be found anywhere in our environment, also in the human body.
The International Union for Preservation of Nature states:
“The most visible impacts of plastic debris are the ingestion, suffocation and entanglement of hundreds of marine species. Marine wildlife such as seabirds, whales, fish and turtles mistake plastic waste for prey; most then die of starvation as their stomachs become filled with plastic. They also suffer from lacerations, infections, reduced ability to swim, and internal injuries. Floating plastics also help transport invasive marine species, thereby threatening marine biodiversity and the food web.”
Once plastic products are discarded non-properly, they contribute to carbon emissions through the process of decomposition, which releases CO2 and other harmful chemicals into soil, water, and the atmosphere. A lot of times, plastic is burned in a non-controlled environment, which causes more harm to the environment than controlled incineration plants
Plastics vary in their life span – if used in packaging, it can be a few weeks and up to several years; if used in cars or machines. This means that carbon captured in the plastic will be released after a short period of time.
One alternative the chemical industry is going for is using renewable raw materials as alternatives to their non-renewable counterparts. Another trend is to replace harmful chemicals so that the end product cannot release harmful chemicals. Still – considering that this is a growing market – using renewable alternatives is not an overall solution to the problem. Given that precursors – to make them renewable – have to be extracted from renewable materials – even if it is biological waste – they will be missed somewhere else as a base for food, topsoil, or pasture. Also, the plastic industry will compete with other industries for renewable raw materials, which will make it much more expensive for the industry to keep prices low.
There is a growing number of legal requirements for plastic products (especially packaging) for products going into the market. Many companies try to meet these requirements by taking a circular economy approach by enhancing the reusability or recyclability of their products. This can be done by reusable plastic products, enhancing mechanical recyclability, or investing in chemical recycling technologies. While this can extend its lifespan and time of use, it is not long enough to actually help keep the carbon dioxide in the plastic stored for longer than some years. It only shifts the point of time in which the emissions will be released into our environment.
Thus, the plastic industry has a significant responsibility to care for and take action to reduce waste and environmental impact. Although plastic plays an important, sometimes even a key role in our society, on the other hand, it is also misused or used too much. A real reduction will only come by transforming businesses and slowing down plastic usage. One start could be identifying which areas of the business are key to society and which products can be outdated to slow down plastic use. It is clear that expected growth numbers will eat up any enhancements in the products itself, so a real transformation is necessary to meet the set environmental goals.
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