Green Institute
Plastics are ubiquitous, found in every corner around the globe. Plastics are found in nature as rubber and silk or synthesized from chemicals contained in coal, oil, and natural gas. Plastics consist of material elements, including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, chlorine, nitrogen, silicon, and sulfur. The basic building block of plastics is called monomers. These monomers are combined through processes of polymerization and condensation to form plastics. Plastics have high molecular weight and can be of two types; Thermoplastics (meltable) and Thermoset Plastics (not meltable). About 92% of world plastics are thermoplastics. Examples of plastics are; Polystyrene (PS), Polypropylene (PP), Polycarbonate (PC), Epoxide (EP), Polyurethane (PUR).
The scarcity of ivory and tortoiseshell as necessary industrial materials sparked interest in the discovery of plastics in the 19th century. Plastics are vital production materials found in virtually all products of modern manufactures like; automobiles, medicine, space travel, construction, food companies, and electronics. Their uses are limitless and beyond the scope of this article. However, we must understand their impact also on human life. Knowing about its importance alone would be inadequate to understand it’s nature and characteristics.
The extent of the drawback of plastics culminates in plastic pollution. Plastic pollution is the indiscriminate dumping of plastic wastes (consumable or industrial) that overwhelms the ecosystem. It becomes a burden to wildlife and their respective habitats. Due to the gravity of plastic pollution, world leaders converged under the auspices of the UN to sign a global treaty on plastic pollution. The marine and terrestrial ecosystem are affected by plastic pollution, hence the need to accomplish SDGs 14 & 15. Studies show that the alteration of the marine ecosystem by plastic pollution consequently affects life on land. Clogging of drainages with plastic materials leads to flooding, and animals that feed on waste dumps have intestinal blockages. Industrial effluence, which constitutes plastic wastes, is disposed into rivers serving as conveyor belts to the seas. These plastics are responsible for affecting 700 extinct and endangered marine species. They affect marine wildlife through entanglement and starvation. They also disrupt their reproductive processes, affecting the quality of eggshells they produce.
According to National Geographic, the following critical facts about plastics are worth noting:
Half of already manufactured plastics were produced in the past 15 years;
Plastic production increased from 2.3 million in 1850 to 448million in 2015. This figure would double in 2050;
Yearly, 8 million tons of plastics find their way into oceans;
Additives added to plastics enable them to outlive their average lifespan, taking about 400 years to break down.
The question remains: Where do we go from here? Having outlined the impact of uncontrolled plastic production briefly, what will our collective response be towards mitigating and controlling plastic pollution?
Best Regards.
The Green Team.