The chemical building blocks that make plastics so versatile are the same components that might harm people and the environment. Greener solutions, however, are becoming available
Plastics, if used wisely, “have the potential to reduce mankind’s footprint on the Earth,” Thompson said.
This article originally ran at Environmental Health News, a news source published by Environmental Health Sciences, a nonprofit media company.
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20 Comments
Add CommentMost of the ill effects described here are attributed to chemicals which are added to the plastics. Plastics by themselves are inert. They can cause a litter problem, as in the ocean, but are the perfect material for a landfill since they are inert filler. Seems like some people just need to trash plastics every once in a while with articles like this. This article is pretty much a yawner.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOne sided again, no comparisons, no ordinal analysis. If you want me to be afraid make a real comparison to something I know could kill me, like asbestos.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt might last decades, but millennia in the ocean?
Plastic does not biodegrade because it is a combination of elements extracted from crude oil then re mixed up by men in white coats. Because these combinations are man made they are unknown to nature. Consequently there is no natural system to break them down. However it does rip, tear and break up into smaller pieces. This process is called degrading. This can take centuries depending on the type of plastic and conditions Plastic never really dissappers. It continues to break down until it is invisible plastic dust. In effect it lasts for ever.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe article paints with a brush that is too broad. First of all, there are numerous monomers used to make plastics; Bisphenol A (BPA ) for instance is used predominantly (maybe only) in polycarbonate, while styrene is used in dozens of them. If a styrene polymer breaks down , any styrene monomer will oxidize in the atmosphere.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPolycarbonate was first used for aircraft windows and remains an ideal material for applications that require transparency, light weight and high strength. The application to food contact appears to be a serious error, but that error is to be criticized, not the product per se.
Some plastics can be profitably recycled to make, for instance, plastic deck boards that last much longer than wooden ones and don't have to be sealed or treated with chemicals. Those bottles floating in the oceans are mostly PETE (a polyester), which is readily recycled.
Nature, by the way, is remarkably inventive when it comes to degradation. bio and otherwise. The fact that crude oil and gas are the starting point for plastics cuts no ice --- asphalt for instance crumbles away in a few decades.
There's lots more to this of course, but my point is just that, like all materials, a given polymer should be applied correctly within its limitations and disposed of responsibly; recycled if practical.
Everything we do may be done so without the use of plastic products.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisComing Soon
Dealing Defense
Posthuman societies verbalize damning reactions toward plastic supporting scientists from the past decade.
As usual, the comment section contains more rational, detailed, and complete information than the politicized drivel in the feature piece. Note to editors: don't expect me to buy your product until it rises to the standard set by the better comments.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPlastics are bad for the envoirnment but good for an Industry based on the economic theory of mass production and therein lies the problem.Like the problem of Global Warming for instance.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSuch a perverse article. Plastics save lives, improve our economy, dramatically reduce energy use, reduce mining requirements, lower water consumption, and save resources. Plastics have displaced many traditional materials, such as wood; stone; horn and bone; leather; paper; metal; glass; and ceramic. Would the author perceive canning all food, making planes only out of metal, crating all large items, and eliminating most medical supplies including contact lens. Only if one thinks mankind is a scourge on the Earth would one condemn plastics which probably have benefitted mankind far more than any negative impact. My own product, Intercept Shrinkfilm, allows very large equipment to be wrapped with a single layer of non-chemcial emiting plastic and survive a transoceanic trip without suffering any rust. This reduces shipping weight and volume, and rust removing solvents and abrasives, while ensuring a longer service life. By the way, try working on a computer with no plastics!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFor those that want to live without plastics,I wish you could have lived in the preplastics era. NO computers, no electronics, no aircraft, no fresh food supermarkets, no automobiles or nice roads. You worked from dark to dark 6 days a week it was a wonderful but short life.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Living is a terminal disease, and the longer you live the sooner you die."
The article does not claim that plastics never should have existed, it states dangers to the environment from their tremendous presence on the planet. The sooner this is acknowledged and addressed, the better off we will be.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisplastics are made from chemicals and are not inert - the chemicals leach back out under certain conditions - moisture and warmth (do you reheat food in plastic containers in microwaves? those chemicals are likely in your urine in measurable quantities.) its not just a few chemicals that are added to plastic that are the problem - its the basis of petro chemical plastics that are the problem, with more serious health issues due to some specific chemical additives (like pthalates in drinking water containers). Much like the global warming debate, and just as the 'does tobacco cause cancer' debate, there is evidence the chemicals in most plastics we come into contact with are doing us and the environment harm. problem is the sort of evidence called for to 'prove' a causal connection, like the previous examples, is very difficult to establish.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisthere are alternatives to petro chemical based plastics but funding is sparse (um, "who killed the electric car") and so the 'necessities' could be filled if money was directed to the right place. to those who 'doom and gloom' about returning to the dark ages - thats ridiculous. its about using more appropriate materials to reduce harm and increase biodegradability, and establishing infrastructure that can best recycle and reduce waste. it goes along the same lines as alternative energy sources - the big petro chemical companies have it pretty well sewn up and are slowing the transition to biodegradable safe plastics down. we could have what we already use, and it could be safe. we just dont know its possible, and hence dont know to demand it. and yes - it will cost a little, but right now its costing our environment and health alot.
Plastics are polymers. Polymers can and should be depolymerized when their useful life is terminated. The resulting monomers can then be repolymerized into new product. All plastics can be recycled if there is will to do so. If the polymer can be transported to the location in which it is used, it can be transported back to the location where it was produced.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs far as plastics for food and beverage storage, we had a much safer product - glass. Glass can be reused and it does not need to be recycled. if the container is damaged, it is only necessary to crush it to a pwder to return it whence it came. The powder can be used in place of aggregates to fill for roadways or most other applications of sand or gravel.
Glass can also be remelted and formed into new products. So why are plastics used instead of glass? Plastics are cheaper to produce and because they are lighter they are cheaper to transport. (Why do economics always come into play when making decisions? - GREED!)
On the other hand, plastics have much to offer but we humans seem to be too stupid and greedy to use them responsibly.
Plastics discarded into the environment are not the problem. Irresponsible people who do the discarding are.
It is people and their behaviour that are the real problem, not the products they produce and use. Until society starts demanding changes in the way we use the products we produce and use, politicians will not legislate the necessary changes.
Plastics are harmful to the environment. Think about the "plastic bag island" larger than the state of Texas. The solution is reusbale bags. Visit our website at www.poksak.com
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisInterest and need in biodegradable disposable plastic items has steadily grown over the last decade. Disposable packaging materials used to ship and protect purchased items as well as disposable containers used for food and drink are of special interest. With packaging materials, the reduction in usage of raw materials, re-use and recycling is of course the best route to sustainable lifestyle. However, for various reasons, in practice, much of the material ends up being discarded to a landfill or accidentally shows up as litter. For these instances, it is advantageous to have a plastic material that would biodegrade when exposed to environments where other biodegradable materials are undergoing decay. Certain additives can be added to create real world biodegradability while other additives can biodegrade in only special commercial composts and others not at all. This article will review biodegradable packaging technologies and provide evidence as to their viability.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.fpintl.com/resources/wp_biodegradable_plastics.htm
Good article, re-use and recycling is of course the best route for plastics. However, for various reasons, much of the plastic packaging materials end up being discarded to a landfill or accidentally shows up as litter. For these instances, it is advantageous to have a plastic material that would biodegrade when exposed to environments. To learn more about truly biodegradable plastic packaging this scientific article will review biodegradable technologies and provide evidence as to their viability. http://www.fpintl.com/resources/wp_biodegradable_plastics.htm
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGood article, re-use and recycling is of course the best route for plastics. However, for various reasons, much of the plastic packaging materials end up being discarded to a landfill or accidentally shows up as litter. For these instances, it is advantageous to have a plastic material that would biodegrade when exposed to environments. To learn more about truly biodegradable plastic packaging this scientific article will review biodegradable technologies and provide evidence as to their viability. http://www.fpintl.com/resources/wp_biodegradable_plastics.htm
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisi feel the benefit of plastics far outweigh the risks. it is mostly likely the additives that cause harm not the plastics themselves. i love making things from plastics a great place i get them is http://hightechplastics.com/ and http://www.iplasticsupply.com/
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is a brilliant article for sure. The governments of the world should realize that plastic can harm the environment in a great way so measures should be taken to ban its production at the earliest. It still continues to be used all over. They were used for a long time but now its high time that it gets throw away for the good of mankind.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisVisit- http://www.viagrabluepills.net/forzest.html
It's easy enough to use chemistry to back up your argument that plastic itself is inert and is not harmful but that is a very narrow view. While the jury may indeed still be out about the potential chemical danger to humans from the use of plastics, the harm being done to our waterways, marine life and some migrating birds from the improper disposal of plastics is well documented. A wise civilisation would see this as an early warning sign and not wait to find out if the level of broken down plastic in our oceans will reach a harmful chemical concentration then make it's way back to us through the food chain. No a wise/intelligent civilisation would adust their behaviour and/or use alternatives where possible...Of course Scientific American may not be the best forum to address the persistent moronic behaviour associated with the way we dispose of plastic... or perhaps it is.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNature may be inventive and adaptable but as far as I know nature has not helped the infant Albatross that die of starvation on pacific atolls with their stomachs full of plastic, nor has nature found a way to clean up the garbage vortex... The real issue is the way we dispose of unwanted plastic and as I stated in my previous post; a wise/intelligent civilisation would consider adjusting their behaviour or using alternatives wherever possible. To say “a given polymer should be applied and disposed of responsibly” is all very well but who assumes the responsibility?
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