|
1. The Influence of Plastics On Human Living
The convenience of plastic goods for daily living
Plastics have become an important part of modern life and are used in different sectors of applications like packaging, building materials, consumer products and much more. In the recent 20~30 years, the plastic materials have widely replaced metal, glass, paper, etc. due to its advantages in low price, easy processing, low energy consumption, aesthetics, ability to endure impact, light weight, durable, etc, a variety of plastic goods have comprised 32% of the daily use products. Among which, the packaging has comprised of 41%. At the end of year 2000, the total global production output for Synthetic Resin has reached 10.3 billion tons, with products containing cosmetics, electronics, toys, utensils, clothing, furniture, bathroom products, and other daily necessities, as one can see the practicability of plastics has become inseparable to mankind.
The environmental damage by the plastic waste
Due to people over relying on plastics, the plastic waste from massive usage has created a tremendous impact and effect on environments of human existence. Regardless of incinerating, buried, or recycling of the waste from the plastics, there are implementing difficulties and drawbacks.
Although many countries in the world have regulated many environmental policies and measures to prohibit usage, restrict usage, limit recycling, impose of environmental tax, penalties, educational promotion, etc. in trying to solve the aftereffect of the plastic waste. Nevertheless, regardless of the efforts, there are still thousands of tons of plastic wastes discarded in rivers, lakes, oceans, forests, land, and water sewage has accumulated the burden and damage for the global ecology. The greenhouse effect generated from the daily disposal of waste plastic, wastewater, and waste gas has gradually changed the earth's temperature, air current, rainfall and various disasters have formed as a result. Such accumulated problems of environmental pollution are gradually deteriorating the ecological environment of the earth. If no improvement measures are taken, there will be a catastrophe of ecological cycle in the future.
Time required for decomposition of each item
- Paper ---- 2 months
- Soda can (aluminum) ---- 200 ~ 500 years
- Cigarette butt ---- 1 ~ 2 years
- Plastic bag ---- 450 years
- Gum ---- 5 years
- PET bottle ---- 100 ~ 500 years
- Motor oil ---- 5 ~ 10 years
Amount of heat energy generated by
various plastics after burned (Kcal generated per 1 kg of plastic burned )
- PE ---- 11,000 Kcal/kg
- PP ---- 10,500 Kcal/kg
- PS ---- 9,600 Kcal/kg
- PET ---- 5,500 Kcal/kg
- PBS ---- 5,640 Kcal/kg
- PLA ---- 4,500 Kcal/kg
- PVC ---- 4,300 Kcal/kg
- Paper ---- 4,000 Kcal/kg
- EcoVizion Bio-Plastic ---- 6,200 Kcal/kg
|
