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Emily Nohr
Professor Cynthia Hamlet
English 102 Section 15
8 November 2015
Plastic Makes It Possible
Within the last century, corporate media and advertising have successfully cultivated a
culture of consumption where ones value is defined by the material goods one has. What has
developed is a consumption obsessed society, so distracted that the effects of such unsustainable
practices are overlooked. In order to maintain the rate of consumption, products are created for
temporary purposes, but these products are often made from more or less permanent materials.
Plastic, a major by-product of consumerism, serves a momentary purpose, but leaves a large and
lasting environmental footprint. Contaminating natural habitats, human biology and as the sole
cause of millions of deaths per year, plastic pollution represents a detrimental disease of postconsumerism, yet is one hundred percent curable. With corrective action and sustainable,
biodegradable alternatives, the end of such contamination and waste is a feasible possibility.
The culture of consumerism began after World War II, when household and
miscellaneous goods replaced products of war on the production lines. In the years which
immediately followed the war, the industry realized consumers could only buy so many longlived items. It became clear that their future would rely on new markets which emphasized shortterm applications. As manufacturers were coming to this conclusion, the steady innovations in
polymer science were paving the way (Freinkel). As the pastime of shopping took root in the
country, plastic was already becoming the prominent material used in most household products.

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Plastic was not always the remarkable material it is now known to be. In 1869, while
searching for a substitute for ivory, an American inventor by the name of John Wesley Hyatt
unintentionally created the first plastic, known as celluloid. Celluloid had the capability to be
molded into virtually anything, but the material was easily susceptible to catching fire. Scientists
began to improve on the synthetic plastic and in the early 1900s, created cellulose, which proved
to be just as flexible and versatile as celluloid yet less flammable. Since the invention of
cellulose and other multipurpose and durable plastics such as PVS and polymers, plastic has
become frequently used for an ever expanding number of applications (American Molds: The
First Plastic). Being such a versatile material, it quickly came to dominate the marketplace,
present in an overwhelming majority of products available across store shelves, whether it be the
product itself or the packaging. The positive aspects were so great that few thought of what
future implications would hold by using plastics for so many disposable items. Such thoughts
were quickly pushed aside as advertisers increasingly pressed for the consumption of more and
more goods, inadvertently feeding the demand for plastics as well.
Compared to the 1950s, the average American is currently consuming double the amount
of goods and services that our previous generations were (Twitchell 454). Marketing and
advertising are fueling the populations desire to consume an unprecedented amount of needless
goods. No longer do people buy items based on necessity but rather to participate in the status
quo. The value of an individual is now perceived by what they own, and we attempt to find our
identity and happiness in the clothing and items which we purchase. This sad realization is by no
coincidence, for we are surrounded by hundreds, [even] thousands of messages every day
(Kilbourne 467), which corporations spend billions on annually to reach every stretch of our
lives.

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One effective way to grab consumer attention is through packaging. Packaging is so
important in the promotion of products that is it one of the elements included in The Seven P
Formula, a basic and fundamental marketing strategy used to evaluate how well a business is
succeeding in the marketplace. An attractive package, with the right logo and signature color
makes products quickly identifiable. In the hair care aisle, Aussies purple bottle is eye catching
and the company Garnier Fructis with its trademark green containers is perceived as natural and
healthy. The truth is that successful advertising has created an aura around products and the
companies that produce them, and consumers are more interested in the packaging than the
product itself (Twitchell 457). If media gave equal attention to production and disposal rather
than just the promotion of consumption merchandise would be viewed a different way. A greater
emphasis on these ignored conditions would increase knowledge about the chemicals human
bodies are absorbing from plastic and the devastating pollution taking place throughout the
planet. Instead, society has become desensitized and distracted, caught up in this linear system,
with a careless disregard for the ending process of disposal which represents the most important
consideration from a sustainability perspective.
America plays the leading role in the machine of consumerism. With the country making
up only five percent of the global population, we consume 30 percent of the resources and
contribute to 30 percent of the waste worldwide (Leonard). As the production and consumption
of plastic continues to increase by ten percent annually, the waste being unconsciously disposed
of is accumulating, the majority coming from food and other product packaging (What's Wrong
With Plastic?). Over the past hundred years, the waste stream has severely changed. When
municipal waste systems were established, most of the trash collected consisted of food scraps
and ash Just a tiny fraction was manufactured items, such as paper and rags and bottles.

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Today, more than three-fourths of municipal waste consists of manufactured products such as
PET bottles [a recyclable plastic bottle] (Freinkel) The same reasons which make polyethylene
and polypropylene ideal for production (flexible, durable, rough, easily processed, high
temperature tolerance) make it equally difficult to dispose of. A minimal percentage of
Americans actually recycle, leaving the rest of the plastic to linger in landfills, get incinerated, be
washed into the oceans or left in other wildlife regions. When we begin to scratch the surface and
recognize that even minor conveniences [such as disposable lighters, straws, plastic produce
bags] can have profound [and lasting] consequences whether that's reflected in disposables
that will outlive us, chemicals that can undermine the health and fertility of future generations, or
albatrosses choking on things we've discarded because they can't be reused or recycled,
(Freinkel), our perceptions severely change. Many current perceptions that people have focus on
the benefits of the material, which of course do exist and deserve acknowledgment, but are not
limited only to petroleum-based plastics.
There is a reason why plastic is predominantly used for all packaging and products.
Being that it is a cheap material that is produced to serve numerous purposes, the industry
heavily relies on it. Whether plastic is used to preserve our produce, restrict contamination and
the spreading of bacteria, pump medicine into our bodies, or aide the technology field that
created the very computer I am typing on, there is no denying how beneficial it has been through
the development of our entire society. Plastic has also helped the ability to produce lighter cars
which makes them more fuel efficient, and solar panels, easing the enormous amount of fuel and
energy required to keep us going about our days. With that being said, the argument is not to
eliminate plastic but decrease the amount used in disposable items and instead focus on putting it
toward more beneficial uses. Why waste such a lasting material on a candy wrapper or lighter

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when it could help build lasting durable and affordable infrastructures. In Plastic: A Toxic Love
Story, Susan Freinkel interviews one company which states:
the plastic it produces from recyclables can be molded to make bridges, railroad ties,
decks, pilings, bulkheads, and levees and will stand up to time and the elements far better
than wood or concrete or steel. In just two years the company has created worthy new
lives for more than two million pounds of plastics that might otherwise have wound up in
a landfill.
Unfortunately companies would rather waste resources on temporary and disposable items for
convenience, saving both money and time. Little or no concern is put toward the implications of
plastic, which begins at its creation and leaves a lasting mark throughout its lifespan, past the
point of when it is discarded.
There are many messages pushed through advertising, some stronger and more influential
than others. A main theme used in promoting goods is the implication that the product itself is
more important than real people, that a relationship with the product is more meaningful
(Kilbourne 467). This can go even further in that selling a product for profit is more important to
corporations than their customers health. Many plastics used for creating food and beverage
containers contain an identified endocrine disruptor known as bisphenol-A, commonly called
BPA. The chemical leaks out of plastics into our food or is directly absorbed by our skin through
materials containing the substance that we come into contact with on a daily basis. In 2009, the
results of one CDA study showed more than 90 percent of Americans tested positive for the
compound in their urine (McLendon). Avoiding BPA is very difficult as companies are not
forced to disclose whether or not their products contain the manmade compound, and some items
labeled BPA Free are often not. Other products proudly claim BPA Free but this is deceiving

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because most will only contain another chemical which mimics BPA and is in no way better than
the original. The implications are not fully known as more studies must be done, but what has
been discovered proves how disruptive BPA can be to our own biology.
Lab studies have shown BPA to cause early puberty in mice, sex changes in fish and a
wide range of other animal ailments (McLendon). The main problem is that the chemical is a
synthetic female hormone [which] often winds up bonding with some animals' estrogen
receptors, tricking them into producing estrogen-like reactions such as starting puberty in
females or shrinking reproductive organs in males (McLendon). One alarming side effect is its
tendency to cause earlier puberty and breast development in female mice: Both are precursors to
breast cancer in humans, and both are also inexplicably happening to the U.S. public
(McLendon). Researchers have also reported health effects in cells and animals very similar to
those which have become more common in people over the last decades such as breast cancer,
heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and neurobehavioral problems such as hyperactivity
(Freinkel).What has been proven and directly linked to humans is increased aggression in young
females and adult men experiencing sexual dysfunction. While BPA is thought to be flushed
from our system within hours, its use is so prolific that our exposure is constant. With it lingering
in adults and present in baby bottles, is unknown what lasting effects BPA could have on
developing fetuses and children. At young ages, such disruptions to brain connections and the
body could cause a chain of negative effects which could last a lifetime. To reduce contact and
consumption of BPA, the first step is buying fresh produce instead of those that are frozen or
canned. It is also important not to microwave food in plastics, for the heat will release the toxin
into what is being prepared. BPA is not the only worrisome side effect of plastic though, as it

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goes beyond harming us on an individual level for the entire planet is currently experiencing the
damaging effects of plastic pollution.
There are no aspects of nature that plastic does not interfere with. The waste that piles up
in landfills, which has been responsibly thrown away, leach[es] endocrine-disrupting
chemicals such as phthalates, bisphenol A, and alkyphenols that can contaminate the soil,
streams, and ground water (Freinkel). Microbeads, found in exfoliators, toothpaste, facewash,
and cosmetics now pollute large bodies of water around the world, both fresh and salt water. Not
only are humans consuming BPA, but we are indirectly contaminating the wildlife as well.
Plastics that go beyond the landfill and make it into an incinerator release other more power
toxins into the atmosphere such as dioxin, the most toxic manmade substance known to
science (Leonard). One region heavily facing the implications of discarded plastic waste are the
oceans, where the marine life and other mammals who rely on it as a food source are suffering.
Debris drifting in the waters wreaks havoc on the entire oceanic ecosystem. Marine life
either mistakenly eats the small particles of plastic thinking it is food or becomes entangled and
trapped within it. Plastic debris has been identified as the cause of injury or death in 267
different species, including 86 percent of all species of sea turtles, 44 percent of all sea birds, and
43 percent of all marine mammals (Freinkel). Animals ranging from sea turtles like the
endangered leatherback or the many species of whales have all been found with plastic bags
lodged in their throats, mistaken for jellyfish or another source of nourishment. In September of
2015, studies showed that 25 percent of fish sold in fish-markets contained plastic, confirming
that the material is now making its way up the food chain. Plastic makes up only about 10
percent of all the garbage the world produces, yet unlike most other trash, it is stubbornly
persistent. As a result, beach surveys around the world consistently show that 60 to 80 percent of

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the debris that collects on the shore is plastic (Freinkel). The debris found on rural beaches
around the world demonstrates how it has reached even the most untouched areas of the earth,
where it will remain forever.
What can be said to be the most problematic issue with plastic is its inability to
biodegrade. Instead of biodegrading, most plastics photodegrade, meaning they are broken apart
by the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight (Freinkel). These smaller pieces of plastic disappear from
the naked eye but not from the environment. As the sunlight breaks plastic down into these tiny
plastic granules, toxins are released which contaminate the surrounding area. The leftover grains
of plastic are swallowed by wildlife, especially marine mammals, where the toxic chemicals
disrupt their hormones and reproductive systems (What's Wrong With Plastic?). The small
plastic beads are causing an increased alarm for concern from scientists as they continue to grow
in number across rural beaches everywhere. Pellets collected across world beaches have been
found to contain 100,000 to 1,000,000 percent higher concentrations of chemicals compared to
the surrounding water and sediment (Freinkel). Decades will go by before these particles can
entirely leave the system, yet they can be completely eradicated in the future if petroleum-based
plastics are no longer used for such disposable purposes.
Alternatives to poisonous fossil fuel derived plastics continue to develop as the market
and demand for them grow. The very qualities that make many plastics such fantastic materials
for the human world [as well as make them a disaster when they get loose in the natural world]
lightness, strength, durability (Freinkel), make it increasingly difficult to find an adequate
substitute that can deliver the same essential characteristics. In recent years, with the
advancement of science and creative thinking, these alternatives have become possible. With so
much waste being created in the agriculture industry, some are beginning to view it as an

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opportunity for biodegradable plastics. In the United States alone, three billion tons of chicken
feathers are disposed of annually, which in itself is a large issue. Instead of discarding the
feathers, they can be turned into strong, durable thermoplastics due to the protein keratin, which
feathers are almost entirely composed of (Trimarchi and Giuggio). There are other synthetic
materials such as polycaprolactone, more easily called PCL, which completely degrades after
only six weeks of composting. One of the best alternatives to petroleum based plastic is
polylactic acid, or PLA. Made from lactic acid, which is produced through starch fermentation
during corn milling or made from wheat or sugarcane, PLA is rigid and boasts great advantages.
Besides decomposing within 47 days within an industrial composting site, it also does not emit
any toxic fumes when burned, which would decrease the amounts of dioxin in the air.
Manufacturing the material only uses 50 percent of the fossil fuels which regular plastics require,
greatly reducing the impact and carbon footprint on the planet as well. While such actions must
be directly taken by manufacturers and producers, every day there are opportunities and choices
consumers can ethically decide, which can make a world of difference, and push for the use of
these alternative methods.
Individuals have more power on causes such as plastic pollution than they are currently
aware of. When we hear about how bad the issue of plastic pollution has become, most do not
feel that one person will make much of a difference. This is completely untrue. Small changes
such as using reusable bags instead of the disposable plastic ones at all stores are a great stepping
stone. Opting out of that Starbucks coffee because it is served in a throwaway plastic cup puts
less stress on the planet and your wallet. We can use [our plastic credit cards] to vote for
healthier, safer products and to support the development of plastics that are genuinely green. We
can also vote by keeping them firmly tucked inside our wallets and rejecting overpackaged goods

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and products that can't be reused or recycled (Freinkel). Such enthusiasm, persistence and
awareness is what has fed the emergence of durable water bottles and tumblers that were also
originally made from plastic but are now becoming more prominently aluminum and glass based.
Raising awareness and actually showing that the issue matters helps the cause gain momentum
which can lead to major changes and the passing of bills to support the reduction and eventual
eradication of plastic waste.
As citizens and environmental scientists alike continue to be vocal and spread reason for
concern about plastics, those able to enact change are listening. Multiple legislative measures
have been put into effect while others are still being discussed. Plastic bag bans have been voted
on and implemented across multiple countries and states, a major controversial decision that the
plastic industry continues to battle against. Another movement currently underway [pushes] for
a set of policies that fall under the loose rubric of extended producer responsibility, shifting the
burden on to producers rather than consumers (Freinkel). The concept is quite simple, producers
would be responsible for their products entire life, not just while it is being used but also
afterwards. In doing so, Coca Cola would be accountable for the plastic Coke bottle laying on the
side of the road or the red cap found inside the stomach of an albatross. Oceanic pollution alone
costs 13 billion dollars annually, while the environmental damage from plastic consumer goods
is estimated at roughly 75 billion dollars. In making companies responsible for such costs, the
burden would be lifted from tax payers and force companies to make wiser decisions about
packaging and its effect on the environment. Such policies have already come about and
continue to do so as more people make the vote, either individually or communally. Legislative
measures and reusable products come from demands put in place by us, the consumer and voter,

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when our voices become strong enough to out speak the corporations trying to resist such
changes.
While alternatives to plastic and enacted legislations will always be beneficial for
regulating and reducing plastic waste and pollution, ultimately it is the entire culture which must
overcome an ideology, one that media and advertising have greatly influenced. [Advertising] is
both a creator and perpetuator of the dominant values of the culture, the social norms by which
most people govern their behavior. At the very least, advertising helps to create a climate in
which certain values flourish and others are not reflected at all (Kilbourne 469). Current values
that are being reflected within our society through the media are those that are made up or
irrelevant to what should really be important in our world. Rather than value precious finite
resources, we value the items created from them, solely focusing on the quantity of what we
possess. Advertisers push an unobtainable goal of satisfaction with the next purchase, which only
brings more dissatisfaction when the promises are not fulfilled. This consumption cycle has no
regard for the waste we endlessly continue to create and the toxic society that has unfolded, nor
does it consider the extent of alternatives available. Simply by paying attention to the issue of
plastic waste, we will ultimately consume less by being attentive in purchasing items created for
a lasting purpose and reuse; items which do not include plastic.

Modern industrial civilization has developed within a certain system of convenient myths.
The driving force of modern industrial civilization has been individual material gain...
Now its long been understood, very well, that a society that is based on this principle will destroy itself in
time. It can only persist, with whatever suffering and injustice it entails, as long as its possible to pretend
that the destructive forces that humans create are limited, that the world is an infinite resource, and that
the world is an infinite garbage can. At this stage of history either the general population will take
control of its own destiny and will concern itself with community issues guided by values of solidarity,
and sympathy, and concern for others, or - alternatively - there will be no destiny for anyone to control.
- Noam Chomsky

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Works Cited
American Molds: The First Plastic." National Geographic 100 Events That Changed the World
2015: 67. Print.
Freinkel, Susan. Plastic: A Toxic Love Story. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing
Company, 2011. eBook.
Kilbourne, Jean. "Jesus Is a Brand of Jeans." Language Awareness: Readings for College
Writers. Ed. Eschholz, Paul A., Alfred A. Rosa, and Virginia R. Clark. 10. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006. 466-471. Print.
Leonard, Annie. "Story of Stuff." Online video clip. Youtube, 22 April 2009. Web. 8 November
2015.
McLendon, Russell. BPA: Is plastic poisoning our food? Mother Nature Network. n.p., 9
December 2009. Web. 2015 November 5.
Trimarchi, Maria and Vicki M. Giuggio. Top 10 Eco-friendly Substitutes for Plastic. How Stuff
Works: Science. n.p., n.d. Web. 7 November 2015.
Twitchell, James B. "Lead Us Into Temptation." Language Awareness: Readings for College
Writers. Ed. Eschholz, Paul A., Alfred A. Rosa, and Virginia R. Clark. 10. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006. 453-463. Print.
What's Wrong With Plastic? Unpackage Me. n.p, n.d. Web. November 8 2015.