What are Plastics?
Plastics is the term commonly used to describe a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that are used in a huge and growing range of applications.
Table of Contents
- Introduction To Plastics
- Recommended Videos
- Advantages of Plastics
- Disadvantages of Plastics
- Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Introduction To Plastics
Plastic has become an inseparable and integral part of our lives. The amount of plastics consumed annually has been growing steadily. Its low density, strength, user-friendly designs, fabrication capabilities, long life, low weight and low cost are the factors behind such phenomenal growth.
Plastic waste is very visible as it contributes to a large volume of the total solid wastes. Precisely because of their large visibility plastic wastes have been viewed as a serious solid waste problem.
Recommended Videos
Advantages of Plastics
The growth in the use of plastic is due to its beneficial properties which include:
- Extreme versatility and ability to be tailored to meet specific technical needs.
- Lighter weight than competing materials reduces fuel consumption during transportation.
- Good safety and hygiene properties for food packaging.
- Durability and longevity
- Resistance to chemicals, water and impact.
- Excellent thermal and electrical insulation properties
- Comparatively lesser production cost
- Unique ability to combine with other materials like aluminium foil, paper, adhesives
- Far superior aesthetic appeal.
- The material of choice – Human lifestyle and plastic inseparable.
- Intelligent features, smart materials and smart systems.
Disadvantages of Plastics
Plastics production also involved the use of potentially harmful chemicals which are added as stabilizers or colourants. Many of these have not undergone environmental risk assessment and their impact on human health and the environment is currently uncertain.
Such an example is phthalates which are used in the manufacture of PVC. PVC has in the past been used in toys for young children and there have been concerns that phthalates may be released when these toys are sucked. Risk assessment of the effects of phthalates on the environment is currently being carried out. The disposal of plastics products also contributes significantly to their environmental impact.
Most plastics are non-degradable and they may take a long time to break down once they are landfilled. With more and more plastic products, particularly plastics packaging, being disposed of soon after their purchase, the landfill space required by plastics waster is a growing concern.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Q1
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using plastic?
The benefits of plastics: the production criteria are durable, low cost, water-resistant, lower energy and heavy chemicals and are lightweight.Disadvantages of using plastics are, they pollute our environment. They pose a danger to wildlife.
Q2
What are the advantages of plastic?
The properties of plastic are resistant to rust and chemically inert. They have low coefficient of thermal expansion and have strong thermal and electric insulating properties. Plastic benefits are very good water-resistant and have good adhesivity. Plastic production is solid, good and cheap.
Q3
What are the negative effects of plastic?
Toxic chemicals leach out of plastic and are present virtually in everybody’s blood and tissue. Exposure to them is related to tumors, birth defects, compromised immunity, disturbance of the endocrine system and other disorders.
Q4
What are the main problems with plastic?
Plastics serve like a sponge, soaking up many ocean-borne toxic chemicals and pollutants. We release these into the atmosphere when we break down, as well as the chemicals used to give them their properties, such as colour, which in effect can be highly toxic.
Q5
How plastic is harmful to humans?
Human bodies absorb chemicals which are applied to plastics. Any of these substances have been found to modify hormones or other possible effects on human health. Wildlife may be harmed or killed by plastic waste, contaminated with chemicals and sometimes eaten by marine animals.
Q6
How does plastic benefit the economy?
Plastic has many direct economic advantages and can contribute to resource efficiency. Through rising shelf life, it decreases food waste, and its relatively low weight decreases fuel consumption for goods transport. Estimates show that by 2050 the ocean would have more plastic, by weight, than fish.
Q7
What is the impact of plastic?
Plastic contamination causes harmful contaminants that cause damage to humans, animals and plants. This can take hundreds or even thousands of years for plastic to break down, so the long-lasting environmental damage. It affects all food chain organisms from tiny species such as plankton through to whales.
Q8
Is plastic harmful?
Toxic chemicals leach out of plastic and can be contained in almost everybody’s blood and tissue. Exposure to them is related to cancer, birth defects, compromised immunity, disturbance of the endocrine and other disorders.
FAQs
The benefits of plastics: the production criteria are durable, low cost, water-resistant, lower energy and heavy chemicals and are lightweight. Disadvantages of using plastics are, they pollute our environment. They pose a danger to wildlife.
What are advantages and disadvantages of plastic explain in detail? ›
The benefits of plastics: the production criteria are durable, low cost, water-resistant, lower energy and heavy chemicals and are lightweight. Disadvantages of using plastics are, they pollute our environment. They pose a danger to wildlife.
What are the 10 disadvantages of plastic pdf? ›
Plastic is a nonrenewable resources.
Disadvantage of plastics are embrittlement at low temperature. Disadvantage of plastics are deformation under load. Disadvantage of plastics are low heat resistant and poor ductility. Disadvantage of plastics are combustibility.
What are some advantages of plastic plastic? ›
Plastic is sustainable and long-lasting. Because plastic is a very durable, long-lasting material, it is often used in homes, bridges, as infrastructure in buildings, and more. Plastic is lightweight yet strong, is resistant to rot and corrosion, and has strong weatherability due to its ability to achieve tight seals.
What are 10 disadvantages of plastic bags? ›
15 Serious effects of plastic bags
- Death of animals. ...
- Plastic bags are non-biodegradable. ...
- Plastic bags are made from petroleum products. ...
- Plastic food storage packages have toxic chemicals. ...
- Toxic chemicals are released during plastic manufacturing. ...
- Massive accumulations of plastic bags block drainage systems.
5 Good Things About Plastic that Help the Environment
- Reduced Weight, Increased Fuel Economy. Plastic components are being used increasingly often in new vehicles, mainly because they help make our vehicles safer. ...
- Reduced Packaging. ...
- Lower Impact than Paper. ...
- Energy Savings. ...
- Strength and Durability.
The biggest disadvantage of plastic is that it is non-biodegradable i.e.; it does not decompose and therefore not environment friendly. Prolonged use of plastic containers to store and consume food also affects human health in the long run.
What are 3 bad things about plastic? ›
How does plastic harm the environment? Plastic sticks around in the environment for ages, threatening wildlife and spreading toxins. Plastic also contributes to global warming. Almost all plastics are made from chemicals that come from the production of planet-warming fuels (gas, oil and even coal).
What are the disadvantages of plastic for humans? ›
Not only this, but toxic chemical additives in plastics can alter hormone activity in the human body which disrupts reproduction, growth and cognitive function. Microplastics also act as vessels for pathogens to enter the human body which increases the spread of disease.
What are advantages and disadvantages? ›
A disadvantage is the opposite of an advantage, a lucky or favorable circ*mstance. At the root of both words is the Old French avant, "at the front." Definitions of disadvantage. the quality of having an inferior or less favorable position. antonyms: advantage, vantage.
Plastics have a range of unique properties: they can be used at a very wide range of temperatures, are chemical- and light-resistant and they are very strong and tough, but can be easily worked as a hot melt.
What are two plastic advantages? ›
Plastics are light, strong and durable:
The articles made up of plastics are very light. Plastic being light, strong and durable can be moulded into many shapes and sizes as required by the user. They are cheaper than metals and hence widely used in making various household products.
What are the 10 advantages of plastic? ›
Advantages of Plastics
- Its production cost is low.
- It can be easily molded into various shapes.
- It is lightweight.
- It is resistant to corrosion.
- It can be translucent, transparent, and opaque as well.
- It is a poor conductor of heat and electricity.
- It can be used to make roads, utensils, wires, pipes etc.
These plastic bags are manipulated with chemical products, mainly oil and gas, which pollute the air and water of our planet. Once in the water, they break down as microplastics, which spread very quicky everywhere. Eventually we ingest this waste after it has accumulated in the tissues of plants and animals.
Are ziploc bags bad for the environment? ›
It is estimated that plastic bags account for over 10% of the debris that washes up on our nation's coastlines. Most plastic bags do not biodegrade; over time, the bags break down into smaller, more toxic petro- polymers which eventually contaminate soils and waterways.
What is one disadvantage of using plastic? ›
Microplastics also pose a risk to human health. Many chemicals found in plastics are endocrine disruptors, which can cause an imbalance in hormones, reproductive issues, and even cancer. Also, microplastics can leach harmful chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates.
What are the disadvantages of plastic in points? ›
Its minor drawbacks are as follows: Natural degradation of plastic can take 400-1000 years, and certain polymers are non-biodegradable. Plastic pollutants block streams, oceans, seas, and lakes, among other places. One in every three species of marine animals has been dcovered entangled in marine garbage.
What are the disadvantages of plastic matter? ›
Chlorinated plastic can release harmful chemicals into the surrounding soil, which can then seep into groundwater or other surrounding water sources and also the ecosystem of the world. This can cause serious harm to the species that drink the water.
