Advantages And Disadvantages Of Plastic

2116 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How plastic pollution affects the world

The plastics industry has developed significantly since the invention of various methods for the manufacture of polymers. Plastic has several essential advantages, such as light weight, durability, an available cost relative to many other materials and an ability to be easily transformed (Andrady, and Neal, 2009). Plastics contribute to the safety of consumers’ food and water packaging usage as well as their health. Water has become an essential issue in urban areas, whereas the mechanism for the storage and supply of clean drinking is provided by plastics (Thompson, Moore, vom Saal, and Swan, 2009). In addition, plastic can be easily manufactured, and it is established in a range of various water distribution and control systems; for example, land drainage, storm water, irrigation and sewerage. Plastic food packaging usually provides secure, time-dependent storage of the products by using atmosphere and temperature control inside the package as well as using oxygen scavenger technology and using gas-flush packaging (Andrady, and Neal, 2009). That is why plastics are progressively more used in many areas; for example, in packaging, transportation, medicine, sport, agriculture, electronics, building and construction. This shows that plastic has become a widely-used building material of a significant number of …show more content…

Consequently, the production of plastics has increased rapidly over the last seven decades. In addition, current amount of the use and disposal of plastics creates several environmental problems. There have been many significant changes on the surface of our planet for fifty years, and one of the most instantaneously observable is the ubiquity and abundance of plastic waste (Barnes K. A. David, Francois Galgani, Richard C. Thompson, and Morton Barlaz,

Show More
Related

  • Polyethylene: Manufacturing Cycle and Environmental Impact

    885 Words  | 2 Pages

    National Center for Manufacturing Sciences. (2004, August 11). Environmental Roadmapping Initiative. Retrieved October 14, 2011, from Plastics Impacts, Risks and Regulations: http://ecm.ncms.org/ERI/new/IRRPlastics.htm

    Read More

  • Plastic Bags Dbq

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    In recent years, it has become blatantly obvious that the Earth’s environmental deterioration is showing signs towards a cause of global concern. Drastic increases in water pollution, global warming, and deforestation, among other environmental issues have caused a sudden desire to raise awareness of and to resolve human-initiated problems. One of the more controversial topics involving human impact on environment is the excessive use of plastic, specifically in the form of plastic bags. Used for their convenience, durability, and inexpensive nature, plastic bag production and consumption has exploded, allowing them to become a seemingly necessary part of everyday life. Unfortunately, however, this abuse of plastic bags has brought a slew of environmental health

    Read More

  • Baby Albatross Plastic Research Paper

    968 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to the American Council of Chemistry, plastics, which are otherwise known as polymers, are comprised of carbon, hydrogen, chlorine, nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and other elements that are combined through the conversion of natural products like oil, natural gas, or coal (ACA, n.d.). Between 7 and 8 % of the oil and natural gasses produced annually are used either directly in the conversion of such fossil fuels to plastics, or in powering the processes to produce plastics (Hopewell, Dvorak & Kosior, 2009). Plastic combinations can either form as thermoplastics, which are plastics whose atoms are connected in long chains that can be melted and reused, or thermosets, which are plastics whose atoms are arranged in three dimensional patterns that cannot be melted or reused (ACC, n.d.). Plastics are used in a wide range of products. For example, polyesters are used in textiles and fabrics, polyvinylidene chlorides are used for food packaging, polycarbonates are used for glasses and disks, and more. By the United States energy averages of 2015, each kg of plastic produced requires 62-108 mega joules of energy. The plastic requiring the largest amount of energy per kg is silicon which required about 235 mega joules of energy per kg. Three hundred and twenty two million metric tons of plastic produced in 2015 alone, and that value continues to raise, (Global plastic production,

    Read More

  • Plastic Vs Plastic Essay

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    Most of the necessities humans need are provided in supermarkets, in fact supermarkets have become a necessity for our everyday life. They are now the main source of water, food, clothes and everyday tools. Therefore, the plastic bags demanded and supplied in this industry increase every day. In the past decade, we produced as much plastic as we did in the whole twentieth century (Freinkel, 2011). This exponential increase of a non-biodegradable material has negatively impacted our environment immensely. Plastic production requires our dwindling fossil fuel resources, robs away animal lives, litters our beautiful landscapes and even affects our very own well-being. Hence, if plastic production doesn’t diminish immediately, we will suffer great

    Read More

  • Plastic Pollution: A Threat to Oceans and Humanity

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    Every year, an estimated 8 million tons of plastic waste enters our environment, severely polluting oceans, beaches, forests, and even the towns and cities we live in. In the ocean alone, it is believed that 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic pollutes the waters (“Plastic Statistics”, Ocean Crusaders).The majority of plastic pollution can be traced back to single-use items, such as grocery bags, bottles, and plastic packaging. According to United Nations Environment, “At the rate we are dumping items such as plastic bottles, bags and cups after a single use, by 2050 oceans will carry more plastic than fish…” (“UN Declares War on Ocean Plastic”, UN Environment). This pollution is a major problem and endangers not only the environment, but human

    Read More

  • Littering Persuasive Speech

    304 Words  | 1 Pages

    This pollution problem is so ubiquitous plastic can be found throughout the marine environment from coastlines to near shore lagoons to remote ocean hotspots where plastics caught up in marine currents. And gathered up into huge garbage patches that swirl

    Read More

  • Water Pollution: Plastic in the Ocean

    1110 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ironically, plastic, which is a material designed to last forever, is generally used for things we tend to throw away. Every year, about one hundred to two hundred billion pounds of plastic are manufactured. Only 31% of that plastic is actually recycled. Biomass packaging estimates 10% of that plastic ends up in the ocean annually. About 20% of it coming from ships and other platforms, and the other 80% coming from land derived sources, such as international garbage dumping, winds or tides, either way it finds its way to the ocean.

    Read More

  • Plastic Bags Dbq

    956 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, our community should continue to extend the use of plastic bags because they produce less pollution in the environment. The opponents of plastic bags agreed that limiting the production of plastic is beneficial to the environment because they claimed that “...plastic bags don’t biodegrade…”, therefore, the bags “...often (clog) drainage systems (which) contributed to flooding,” (Doc B). Since plastic bags are easily moveable, they regularly get caught in trees, poles, and even drainage systems; however, the EPA noted that “...paper doesn’t degrade all that much faster than plastics,” (Doc F). Despite being criticized for causing damage to the environment, the rate at which plastic bags degrade is similar to that of paper bags; therefore, this shows that if plastic

    Read More

  • Plastic Pollution and its Consequences

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... converting plastic waste into useful products are being affected by pollution; this contamination is found within containers where plastics are collected. But the same risk of pollution carries downside consequences in which workers and people responsible for cleaning and disinfecting the plastic materials are not doing the best to eliminate plastic waste, and to disinfect the infected bacteria and microorganisms from the atmosphere and environment. Organizations from China and India are the largest in the world, they collect and purchase used plastic from United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America (Minguez 2013). These companies do not bother to sanitize the products before the recycling process; for this reason the planet earth is getting a worse environmental condition, and it is destroying lives of living beings, and natural resources as well (Uddin 2014).

    Read More

  • BPA Essay

    1339 Words  | 3 Pages

    Over the course of the past 60 years, an increasing amount of the current population is using plastic and reusable products to try and reduce the amount of waste that is being thrown away. Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to manufacture polycarbonate #7 plastic which have help strengthen plastic bottles, food containers and epoxy resins (University of Minnesota, 2008). BPA is used in a range of products from every day plastic beverage containers and plastic dinnerware, to compact disks, impact-resistant safety equipment, automobile parts, and toys (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). The CDC (2013) also states that BPA epoxy resins are used in the protective linings of food cans, in dental sealants, and in other products (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013).

    Read More

  • Plastic Bags

    816 Words  | 2 Pages

    Millions of plastic bags are given out to consumers by supermarkets and stores to carry their goods in. They are also cheap, light, durable, easy to carry and in many cases, free. The most commonly used shopping bag is made of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). This type is used in the majority of supermarkets and stores. After these bags are used, they often end up in landfills or as litter, roughly only three percent of plastic bags is actually recycled per year (Planet Ark, 2011). The materials used in making plastic bags make them non-biodegradable. According to the science dictionary, 2011 refers to “these materials cannot be decomposed into environmentally safe waste materials by the action of soil bacteria.” These harmful substances are toxic and take approximately four hundred years to break down, or in this case photo-degrade; which is how plastics made from (HDPE) break down. Since they are not biodegradable, they remain in the environment and are absorbed in soil or water (Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment, 2010). This essay will discuss the various harmful effects of plastic bags, and demonstrate the risks that these bags impose on humans, animals and the environment. It will also discuss a series of suggested solutions that could help reduce plastic bag usage.

    Read More

  • Advantages And Disadvantages Of Paper And Plastic

    927 Words  | 2 Pages

    Everyone has heard a cashier one time or another mumble, “Paper or plastic?” as he put their groceries in a bag, but do shoppers know the effects of each vessel in which they carry their comestibles? There are many issues and benefits to both paper and plastic. The making and recycling of both paper and plastic bags can harm the environment. One must also look at the costs of making each bag. The convenience of each is also something to look at. Many people jump to conclusion that paper bags are better for the environment without knowing the facts. Since plastic bags are preferred by customers and plastic bags actually do not hurt the environment as much as paper ones do, consumers should feel at ease when choosing plastic.

    Read More

  • Save the Rainforest!

    995 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is sad to say but humans have played their part in deteriorating the earth. We have polluted and killed the very thing that takes care of us. If you ride by any lake or river you find trash and debris around it. In the “The Call of the Wild” the author says that we have committed war against the earth by the dumping of poisons and explosives upon it (337). Unfortunately, plastics are the things that are doing the most harm to our environment. Plastics are convenient and we use them everyday and these are the things that we find in the oceans, rivers and lakes. They are harmful to the earth as well as human health by directly intoxicating us with lead, cadmium and mercury. Plastic debris laced with harmful chemicals are often found inside of our marine life and can poison them. Plastic can survive for thousands of years and many invasive species are found in them which can disrupt our habitats. We need to limit our consumption of plastics and make sure that they are disposed of in their proper places.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Speech On Recycling Plastic

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the 1870’s, plastic was discovered in the United States when John Wesley Hyatt was trying to create a different material to make billiard balls (Manrich, 3). Little did he know it would majorly evolve into material we use everyday. However, plastics are now taking over our landfills. The average American throws away one-hundred and eighty-five pounds of plastic a year (Popescu, 121). The answer to decrease this statistic is easy: recycling. I believe that recycling will help eliminate littering and the growth of landfills, while also creating jobs for the unemployed. Not only does recycling plastic help eliminate littering, but also reuses the plastic so there is not a production of additional unneeded plastics. The

    Read More

  • Effects of Plastic Bottles On the Environment

    1327 Words  | 3 Pages

    Being convenient enough for everyday use and even tasting better to some, plastic bottles are a popular way of consuming beverages. They are convenient and to some people, can even taste better. However, the process of manufacturing and transporting the millions of bottles produced is detrimental to the environment. Continued use of plastic bottles could exponentially hurt the planet.

    Read More

More about Advantages And Disadvantages Of Plastic

Open Document