The biggest reason is that plastic costs relatively less to produce other than metal or ceramic, and is much easier to mold. Plastic can be recycled, but somewhere less than 10% of it is recycled at all, while the rest is dumped away. There is one form of plastic that cannot be used for many applications, but can actually biodegrade on its own. Biodegradable plastic is not common, and can only be used for certain applications. Biodegradable plastic can be the possible solution for the harmful effects caused by plastics.
The only problems we came across were finding a rag-picker who could separate the organic materials from the plastic ones. Our biggest challenge was to find the buyer of the plastic waste. Plastic is currently an indispensable piece of the ordinary action of human life and one can't deny the benefits of plastic however the inconveniences can be lessened to some degree if certain tips to manage plastic waste are taken after and these
Plastic used to be an efficient bag to hold your groceries. Or a cheaper, more disposable water bottle. If plastic is such an enemy, why do we use it? Marc Hillmyer, a professor of polymer chemistry at the University of Minnesota, stated “They’re inexpensive to produce and for the amount of material it takes to make a plastic bag you can carry a lot of stuff in it,” Despite the fact that its cheaper and good at its job, does anyone really think of the real cost? The cheap and efficient plastic isn’t worth it anymore.
Other companies try to be more eco-friendly and, for example, use plastic that decomposes faster. But that still won’t get rid of pollution. Not everyone needs to stop doing any activities that causes pollution. But, everyone needs to at least try to reduce the amount of activities they do that cause pollution. Simple acts from using common transportation to reusing plastic bags are extremely helpful to our environment and future environment.
Although glass is safer than plastic, most bottlers go for plastic because plastics are cheap and convenient in production. This exposes bottled water drinkers to health consequences that tap water drinkers are free of. Ferrier (2001) goes ahead to note that the chemical composition of plastic packaging for the bottles is a threat to humanity. The chemicals in these bottles include but not limited to bisphenol whose chemical structure allows it to mimic estrogen. Once in the body, the chemical has a number of undesirable consequences.
In the article Plastic Bag Should be Managed, not Banned, the writer claims “Plastic bags were designed to satisfy a need. Thin plastic can do many things that paper cannot.” There are reusable bags which are ten times preferable than a plastic bag. A reusable bag is capable of ‘satisfying a need.’ Besides plastic bags get ripped so easily and get soggy when it rains. Reusable bags, on the other hand, are versatile and functional. Another example from the text is that the author claims, “The answer to the problems associated with the thin plastic bag use is not a ban, but better management.
Plastic is a commodity that people use everyday which makes daily life more convenient. People take pills, use cell phones, and wear bike helmets in addition to a plethora of other activities, but tend to forget that one common element in all of them is the use of plastic. One of the main sources of plastic that has been polluting the environment over the last few decades are plastic bags. Plastic bags can be found in nearly every store to hold groceries, accessories, or toys. While plastic bags may be useful for customers, there is an overwhelming concern about their effect on the health and safety of people, marine life, and the environment.
Is it good when plastic bags are to be banned or not? As of 2011, Senator Loren Legarda has been authorized "Total Plastic Bag Ban Act of 2011" or its long title is "An act prohibiting the use of plastic bags in groceries, stores and other establishments, and providing penalties for violation thereof" (Legarda, n.d.) which there are at least 8 or more cities is being practiced. One of those cities is here in Calamba, some stores especially SM, Jollibee, Puregold etc. They use more of paper bags or eco-bags that has charge. Is it possible not to use plastic bags anymore?
To cater to the shopping needs of the different people, there are various types of shopping bags available in the market. Consuming more eco-friendly bags is a relatively an easy task for the people to help reduce the environnmental problem. However, initiating this consumers’ attitude change for a whole society is not an easy one. Bans or taxation on plastic bags and incentives to use reusable bags are among these regulations and incentives. Brown (1996) stated that environmentalism has become important in the marketplace as consumers are recognizing the importance of people to protect the
This applies especially to packaging materials, which should only be as durable as necessary to serve their intended purpose. On the other hand, it could be more wasteful if food, which has consumed resources and energy in its production, is damaged and spoiled because of extreme measures to reduce the use of paper, metals, glass and plastics in its packaging. Durability[edit] Improving product durability, such as extending a vacuum cleaner 's useful life to 15 years instead of 12, can reduce waste and usually much improves resource optimisation. But in some cases it has a negative environmental impact. If a product is too durable, its replacement with more efficient technology is likely to be delayed.