Why we can't simply stop using plastic

The plastic keeps on having a significant impact on marine birds and marine wildlife. Due to its properties like buoyancy and durability, its transportation into bigger water bodies is effortless. India alone is projected to produce 15,788KTA thermoplastic in 2019-20. The immense production is coupled with the fact that it is derived from crude oil which is a massive industry of environmental pollution in itself. The global plastic industry generates a revenue of about $600billion annually. But the question arises, can we simply stop using plastic?

Plastic is a form of synthetic polymer. The first synthetic polymer, Bakelite, was created in 1907 by Leo Baekeland on accident. Plastic was used for industrial purpose during World War 2, secretly by the British and American military. The one-piece polythene shopping bag was patented by Swedish company Cleoplast in 1965. Due to its immense cost-efficient application, it started controlling 80% of the bag market in Europe by 1979. Being aggressively marketed as an alternative to the paper as reusable and less cumbersome, it immediately gained attention across the globe.

Crude oil is used in plastic production as a main raw material. One litre of petroleum needs approximately 0.9kg crude oil. So on average 0.78kg of plastic is produced by one litre of petroleum. This production level is different for different polymers. So, plastic production alone has contributed to 0.5% of global warming from 1939-2000 which is more than all the coal fires combined.

The packaging industry is responsible for the majority of plastic use representing 40% in Europe(in 2012) and 42% in the USA(in 2013). Followed by consumer and household products like toys, plastic, cutlery, furniture and appliances. Within the USA major industry usage is in construction and food and beverage industry. The bigger companies, like Domino's, are still able to produce a comparatively more eco-friendly packaging but for the smaller ones, the road is resilient.

Plastic when once collected is sent to the landfills. Rain and sunlight cause breaking down of the plastic material and forming toxic leaches. These toxic leaches can be consumed by plants and animals, contaminate groundwaters, damage ecosystems and spoil agricultural production. Another issue with a plastic bag is entering marine life where they threaten aquatic life through entanglement, indigestion or suffocation.  But perhaps the problem is with our incredible dependency on plastic materials.

Plastic is a very useful product. It is lighter, stronger, corrosion-resistant, very durable and a better insulator. The high demand for plastic is particularly due to its cost-effective trait. It is notoriously present in the oceans bodies. But to simply get rid of plastic is not an effective approach. It is an incredibly useful product which if used correctly can enhance productivity in many ways.

Milo Cress founded 'Be straw-free' campaign. Americans use 500million straws per day. 500million straws can fill up 127 school buses each day. Straws are particularly useful for physically challenged people and children, except that everyone should opt not to use straws. The best alternative to use straws should be edible straws. Looking at the cost associated with that, cheaper drinks should be served with no straws at all, but the expensive ones should have edible straws. The other alternatives like bamboo straws should be used at smaller levels as most of the times they do more harm than good.

We simply cannot stop using plastic right now. Well, the problem is with lack of a better alternative and the current approach. Let's look at the alternative present in terms of plastic bottles. Switching to glass might be a better option at first but is not a viable option at all. Shifting to glass means giving more money out of your pocket, using up more glass to make a comparatively durable bottle and no guarantee that it will be recycled more than plastic. If this example is not good, imagine buying a packet of chips in a glass container. Not exactly a useful or practical solution. The current approach focuses on prevention rather than mitigation. The current approach is making people aware of the environmentally destructive force of plastic rather than focusing on a cleanup project. The idea of reusing plastic is the most effective approach. Many countries like China focuses on importing plastic waste an turning it into yarn that can be used to make clothes. But you should be careful in using such materials because they can emit harmful chemicals like bisphenol A(BPA) which is harmful to our body.

Then we might turn to ban plastic from every aspect. Here we need to understand that there are many industries in which plastic is the most useful material present. And we cannot guarantee that if we ban a particular object people will stop using it. The banning of a plastic bag and replacing it with a cotton bag isn't the most effective approach either. The most effective way is to create different channels to reuse different plastic litter effectively. Complete life cycle assessment is imperative before suggesting an alternative. All the solutions present are not adequate and further research is essential to decrease the impact of plastic pollution.  In many ways, we need solutions that equate to the least action involved that produce the most efficient results. This can only be achieved through comprehensive research and in-depth knowledge of the subject. Many times solution is very effective but doesn't take into consideration the societal reaction to such activity. All the aspects combined together should tackle the problem and eliminate environmental pollution completely.