Implementing this kind of impact requires an evolution in three essential areas of plastics production and handling throughout the value chain:
- Creation of an effective after-use economy
- Drastically reducing leakage and other negative externalities
- Decoupling raw materials from fossil fuel feedstocks
Why is the plastic industry important to the economy?
It reduces food waste by increasing shelf life, and its relative light weight reduces fuel consumption for transporting goods (triplepundit.com) Plastic also has other important uses and important benefits that allow economies and societies to perform critical functions and activities How Many Jobs Does The Plastic Industry Create?
Why is plastic so cheap to make?
Economically, plastic is so cheap to produce compared to other alternatives, and it also helps reduce the cost for food producers, transport companies and manufacturers and other parties.
What are the benefits of plastics packaging?
Plastic benefits society in many ways by being a highly versatile material that comes in different types, and can be molded into different shapes and sizes. Environmentally, plastic is actually a more eco friendly option than other packaging material options in several ways.
How has plastic impacted the world?
As a result, civilian air travel has improved, as well as military air power and space exploration. In addition, the building and construction, electronics, packaging, and transportation industries have all benefited greatly from plastic.
How does plastic production affect the economy?
Plastic pollution costs $13 billion in economic damage to marine ecosystems per year. 28 This includes losses to the fishing industry and tourism, as well as the cost to clean up beaches. Plastic is popular because it is flexible, lightweight, and sustainable.
How important is plastic to the economy?
The US plastics industry accounted for an estimated $432 billion in shipments and more than one million jobs in 2019, according to the "2020 Size & Impact Report" from the Plastics Industry Association. Plastics are critical to the US economy.
How does plastic benefit the society?
Plastics help us protect the environment by reducing waste, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and saving energy at home, at work, and on the road.
How do we benefit from plastics?
Plastic packaging helps protect and preserve goods, while reducing weight in transportation, which saves fuel and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. From computers and cell phones to televisions and microwaves, durable, lightweight and affordable plastics have helped revolutionize the electronics we rely on every day.
How plastics have changed the world both economically?
Despite growing mistrust, plastics are critical to modern life. Plastics made possible the development of computers, cell phones, and most of the lifesaving advances of modern medicine. Lightweight and good for insulation, plastics help save fossil fuels used in heating and in transportation.
What is a plastic economy?
The New Plastics Economy is an effort to reduce plastic pollution spearheaded by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation with support from the UN Environmental Programme. The ambitious project aims to curtail the amount of plastics being sent to the landfill by focusing on the three Rs: reuse, reduce, and recycle.
What are the 10 advantages of plastic?
10 advantages of using plastic rather than metalFlexible design language. Plastics are created using various resins. ... Convenient sterilisation. ... Enhanced Ergonomics. ... Safety. ... Recyclability. ... Economically efficient. ... Aesthetic appeal. ... Greater life span.More items...•
What are some pros and cons of plastic?
Answer: The benefits of plastics are durable material, low cost, water-resistant, lower energy. And cons are: produces toxic fumes, low temperatures are embrittlement, causes CANCER, etc.
How plastics benefit wildlife and the environment?
Plastics Save Energy and Water and Make Less Pollution than Alternatives. The reason plastic products—be it bags, food packaging, or home siding—are often the most affordable option is because they often require far fewer resources to make than paper, metal, stone, or glass alternatives.
What are the positive impacts of plastic bags?
A plastic bag consumes up to 40% less energy to make and causes 70 % less solid waste than a paper bag. Durable and Weatherproof: Plastic bags are known for their durability. They are less vulnerable to tearing and are resistant to many chemicals.
What is the plastic industry?
The plastics industry is made up of material suppliers, processors, equipment and mold makers, brand owners, and recyclers. Together, the men and women who work for these companies deliver a major benefit to the economy.
Why is plastic packaging important?
Plastic packaging protects products in transit and with a lower environmental impact than alternatives. With more consumers using e-commerce than ever before, industry is leading the way in developing new recycling initiatives that address waste challenges.
How does plastic benefit society?
Plastic benefits society in many ways by being a highly versatile material that comes in different types, and can be molded into different shapes and sizes . Environmentally, plastic is actually a more eco friendly option than other packaging material options in several ways.
Why is plastic important in the future?
Plastic is continuously re-engineered to become lighter and more efficient – so it’s likely plastic in the future will help us save more resources. Plastic helps us minimise packaging, and decrease waste. Plastic decreases transport energy. Plastic is highly reusable.
What percentage of waste is plastic?
Only 9 percent of waste in landfills is plastic. Plastic automobile parts have made lighter cars that consume less fossil fuel. We aren’t doing enough when it comes to plastic recycling though. We need to keep more reusable plastic out of landfills. – alive.com.
What is polyurethane used for?
Polyurethanes, an entire family of related polymers, are widely used in foam insulation for homes and appliances, as well as in architectural coatings. … the automotive sector uses increasing amounts of thermoplastics, primarily to reduce weight and hence achieve greater fuel efficiency standards.
Why are condoms important?
Condoms are critical for contraception and the prevention of STDs, and they contain poly urethane (a type of plastic) Something else that people may not be aware of is – if you support renewable energy, you support the use of plastics.
Can plastic be used as a fuel?
Plastic waste can be incinerated for energy (but there are air pollution concerns with some waste to energy plants/facilities) Plastic waste can be used as a fuel in cement kilns. – cen.acs.org. … plastic reduces a products’ weight, and provides an inexpensive alternative to natural materials like cellulose or cotton.
Is plastic good for the environment?
The Benefits Of Plastic In Society, The Economy, & To The Environment. Plastic can be an environmentally friendly, low-cost alternative to other products. … plastic grocery bags … take up one-seventh of the space paper bags do in landfills and don’t produce toxic fumes when incinerated. … incinerated plastic helps the waste mix burn more ...
How has plastic contributed to the economy?
Over the past two decades, plastic has contributed to the economy not only through the manufacture of new resins and new applications, but through the upswing in recycling, both mechanical and advanced chemical recycling.
How much is the plastic industry worth?
The Plastics Industry Is Essential to the US Economy. The US plastics industry accounted for an estimated $432 billion in shipments and more than one million jobs in 2019, according to the "2020 Size & Impact Report" from the Plastics Industry Association. Plastics are critical to the US economy.
What percentage of plastics are used in personal consumption?
PLASTICS’ Chief Economist Perc Pineda commented, “Plastics are vital, and in 2019, 79% of plastic products were used in some sort of personal consumption . . . toys, utensils, detergent bottles, motor vehicles, refrigerators, and more. Plastics for consumer essentials like food packaging, personal care, and healthcare, ...
Why do companies have their own recycling facilities?
Some consumer products companies are beginning to establish their own recycling facilities to support sustainability efforts while taking responsibility for the many plastic bottles and other containers they use in producing their food, beverages, and personal care products.
How many people work in the plastics industry in California?
At the state level, California’s plastics industry workforce is the largest, with an estimated 79,700 workers in 2019.
Which state has the highest concentration of plastics workers?
Indiana and Michigan have the highest concentration of plastics industry workers, each with an estimated 16 plastics employees for every 1,000 non-farm workers. Graphic courtesy Plastics Industry Association.
Is recycling good for the environment?
However, any type of recycling is economically viable and environmentally beneficial to the Earth. “To protect jobs as well as the environment, we at PLASTICS support domestic and international infrastructure improvements to reuse, repurpose, and recycle more material,” said Radoszewski.
How has plastic helped the world?
Plastic has benefited our society in a number of ways. In fact, plastic has helped aeronautics technology take giant steps forward over the past 50 years, including advancements in satellites, shuttles, aircraft, and missiles. As a result, civilian air travel has improved, as well as military air power ...
What is the role of plastic in construction?
Plastics play a significant role in the building and construction industry as well. In fact, the industry is the second largest consumer of plastic, followed only by the packaging industry. In the construction industry, plastics are used for items such as pipes and valves.
What would happen if a refrigerator was made of plastic?
Even refrigerators use a special plastic foam for insulation purposes, while the interior is made from plastic that is durable and easy to clean. Without plastic, these products would last about half as long and would use 25-30% more energy. Computers as we know them today would probably not exist without plastic.
Why is plastic packaging important?
Plastic packaging helps keep people, the earth, and animals healthy in a number of ways. For example, plastic packaging is used by medical facilities to dispose of needles and other items that may be contaminated.
Why was plastic used in aerospace?
During the war, plastic slowly started to be used as a substitute for rubber in items such as fliers' boots and fuel-tank linings. Eventually, it became the preferred material for these applications. Plastic was then used with airborne radar systems and viewed as a significant advancement in this technology because it allowed waves to pass through with minimal loss.
How much weight has plastic lost in a car?
Through the use of plastic, the average passenger car has lost 145 pounds since 1988. The lighter weight translates to better fuel efficiency and has saved approximately 21 million barrels ...
Why are plastics used in helicopters?
Plastic materials are also used in the making of helicopters because they are rigid and durable, yet flexible enough to withstand the vibrations made by helicopters. The fact that plastic is both lightweight and strong also has its advantages in the field of aerospace because the weight of the aircraft can be reduced by using plastic.
How is the plastic industry tackling pollution?
The Plastic Economy: How the Packaging Industry is Tackling Plastic Pollution. Consumer and investor sentiment towards sustainability and plastic packaging has undergone a dramatic shift, disrupting and creating new opportunity for the packaging industry. April 17, 2019.
How much plastic ends in the ocean each year?
Factors such as the BBC TV series "Blue Planet II," which aired towards the end of 2017, helped raise awareness, particularly in Europe, after the report estimated as much as 12 million tons of plastic ends in the sea each year, with more than 80% of marine litter coming from plastic.
Is plastic a miracle material?
April 17, 2019. Versatile, durable, hygienic and cheap to produce — plastic is a miracle material that makes modern life possible. But with more than 90% of all plastic waste yet to ever be recycled 1 , plastic pollution is clogging oceans and waterways and poses a threat to the safety of marine and wildlife.
Is plastic pollution public awareness?
Plastic Pollution and Public Awareness. While sustainability has been both a topic of public debate and an increasingly important consideration for investors for some time, there has been a significant increase in the public discourse around the need to cut down plastic pollution in the last 18 months or so.
Does China still buy plastic?
Government legislation is forcing the packaging industry to change and adapt too. Last year, China announced it would no longer buy the world's discarded plastics. Up until relatively recently, China was importing 45% of the world's plastic waste imports 2 so the move created major disruption for the recycling industry.
Is plastic packaging recyclable?
Plastic packaging companies have generally given the message that they expect to use more recycled and recyclable plastic in their products, but that the benefits of plastic (flexibility, weight, ability to hold liquids) will continue to under pin robust demand," said Mees.
What is plastics industry?
The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) is taking NPE2018 to introduce This Is Plastics, an online resource designed to arm plastics-industry employees with information and talking points to answer consumer questions and correct mistaken beliefs they may have about the material.
Which state has the most plastics workers?
California has 77,000 plastics industry employees, while Texas has only a slightly smaller number. Indiana has the highest number of plastics employees per capita, with 16.5 per 1,000.
Summary – How Plastic Benefits Society, The Environment & The Economy
The Benefits of Plastic in Society, The Economy, & to The Environment
- Practical Benefits Potential practical benefits are listed by different sources below: Plastic helps us do more with less [such as being able to] deliver more beverage with less resources than other materials Plastic is continuously re-engineered to become lighter and more efficient – so it’s likely plastic in the future will help us save more reso...
Important Uses of Plastic
- Practically, plastic benefits us in society with the sheer number of uses we can get out of it Some of these uses are critical to the functioning of society, and/or the quality of our lives Some examples we included in the guide above – such as plastic packaging used to keep food fresh and hygienic. Other important uses of plastic in society across various industries and areas are l…