What Is Plastic?

Plastic is a synthetic polymer consisting of monomers that are

arranged linearly or may be cross-linked. These can be moulded
and set into the desired shape when soft and then hardened to
produce a durable product. Plastics are manufactured from the
chemicals found in crude oil. Plastics can have bright, attractive
colours. The term ‘Plastic’ was derived from the Greek word
‘Plastikos’, which means ‘to mould’.

History of plastic
The first synthetic plastic, called Parkesine, was made by Alexander
Parkes in 1862 from organic cellulose. The effort to mass produce
this plastic failed because of poor quality. An early plastic that
succeeded on a large scale is Celluloid, meaning “like cellulose”. John
Wesley Hyatt synthesized celluloid from cotton fibre and camphor in
1869, apparently to make a cheaper substitute for ivory billiard balls.
Celluloid went on to have a much bigger impact by replacing scarce
and expensive natural materials and gave access to a host of goods.
Perhaps the greatest impact of Celluloid was serving as the base for
photographic films. But extensive use of Celluloid was limited due to
its tendency to catch fire easily during production and the need for a
labour intensive process.
The first completely synthetic plastic, which did not use cellulose
from plant sources, was invented by Leo Baekeland in 1907.
Baekeland was looking for a material to replace shellac as an
electrical insulator. It was named Bakelite and was made from an
extract of coal tar. Bakelite was used for making clocks, radios,
phones, etc., that were uniquely styled. Each subsequent decade saw
the introduction of new and more versatile plastics like Polyvinyl
Chloride (PVC), Polyethylene, Nylon, Polystyrene, Polyethylene
Terephthalate (PET) and so on. The production of plastic increased
rapidly to meet the huge demand during World War II. After the war,
 this huge capacity was suddenly available for the general public in
the form of cheap consumer goods and textiles.

Classification of plastics
Plastics are mainly of two types:
1. Thermoplastic
2. Thermosetting plastic

Fig: Classification of Plastics

1. Thermoplastics: These plastics can be bent easily and get
deformed on heating.  These can be softened on heating and
moulded repeatedly to get the desired shape. These are polythene,
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), polypropylene, polyester, Teflon,
polystyrene, perspex, etc. These are mainly used for making toys,
combs, carry bags, bottles, and various types of containers.
 Fig: Thermoplastics
2. Thermosetting plastics: These plastics can be heated and
moulded once into shape and cannot be softened and moulded
again on reheating. The chains of these plastics get highly cross-
linked due to heating. Examples of these plastics are bakelite,
melamine, etc. Bakelite is used for making electrical switches,
handles of various utensils, etc., as it is a poor conductor of heat
and electricity. Melamine can be used to make floor tiles,
kitchenware, fabrics, etc., as it can resist fire and tolerate heat.
 Fig: Thermosetting Plastics
Why is plastic popular?
Plastic has an overwhelming impact on the way we live. Many plastics have
become household names like Nylon, Polyester, Polyethene and Teflon. Plastic
has become popular because it is versatile and very cheap.
Plastics are artificially made and almost any combination of properties can be
incorporated to accommodate a wide variety of applications. We have plastics
that are strong, lightweight, transparent, impermeable, inert, and insulating
(heat or electricity). These properties have made plastic a versatile material. It
is extensively used in packaging, house construction, health care, electrical,
electronics, agriculture, sports, and textiles. Today, plastics are replacing
almost all traditional materials like jute, cotton, leather, paper, and rubber.
Most plastics are made from petrochemicals, essentially oil and natural gas,
which are cheap today. The plastic industry is highly mechanised and less
labour intensive. All this makes plastic very cheap.

Problems with plastic

The wonder material plastic has many problems related
to the poisonous effects (called toxicity) and
environmental hazards.
Poisonous effects:
Pure plastic is insoluble in water and is relatively
chemically inert. So plastics have low toxicity in their
pure form. However, plastics are rarely used in their
pure form. A variety of poisonous additives are added to
it to get the desired property. Traces of these chemicals
can leach out of the plastic when it comes in contact
with food, water, etc. The chemicals that are used in
PVC to make them flexible have been found to interfere
with hormonal functions and are suspected to cause
cancer. Polycarbonate, used to make transparent baby
bottles has Bisphenol A (BPA), which is a known
hormone disruptor and can lead to cancer, insulin
resistance, inflammation, and heart disease. Some of
the additives are suspected to cause genetic damages
also.
With more and more use of plastic in our daily life, the
toxic risk is rising. In a country like India, cheap plastics
have increased accessibility, especially for the poor, but
at the same time improper use has exposed them to
major health hazards. The lack of awareness and a
proper plastic disposal mechanism sometimes leads to
burning of plastic along with other garbage. When
plastics are burnt, poisonous substances like carbon
monoxide, dioxin, and furan are released into the air.
Dioxin and furans have been linked to cancer and
respiratory problems and can be fatal.
Environmental hazards:
Environmentally, plastic is a growing disaster. Most
synthetic plastics are made from fossil fuels using
energy intensive techniques. It is estimated that 8% of
the global crude oil is used for plastic production. The
manufacturing of plastic creates and releases large
quantities of chemical pollutants.
Global plastic consumption is around 200 million tons
and is growing at 5% annually. Globally, more than 500
billion plastic bags are consumed each year most of
which end up in landfills. They clog the drainage and
sewerage systems, which results in severe water
logging and flooding in the cities.
Plastics do not decompose and are resistant to the
natural process of disintegration and hence they will
remain in the environment for hundreds or thousands of
years. And even when they disintegrate, they release
many toxic chemicals which contaminate the land, lakes,
rivers, and percolates to the underground water.
 At least 267 different marine species have known to
have suffered from entanglement or ingestion of plastic
debris. Plastics have also been found in the guts of
animals like goat, cows, and deer and have been
responsible for their deaths.
Plastics disintegrate into minute particles out of wear
and tear in moving water, wind, and exposure to sun.
These minute particles get mixed up with planktons and
other small organisms and consumed by bigger
organisms. Plastic is slowly but surely entering the food
chain and the consequences can be serious and far-
reaching.
Plastic as boon
1. Plastic is light in weight.
2. They are soft and can be moulded easily.
3. Plastic is cheap to produce.
4. Plastic is strong, tough, and durable.
5. Plastic is normally unbreakable.
6. They are used to make many daily usable products like
buckets, bottles, pencil boxes, pipes, and so on.
7. They have industrial usage and are used to make many
parts of machines.
8. They have a very good electrical insulating property.
9. Plastic is corrosion and chemical resistant.
10. Plastic is water-resistant and has adhesive properties.
11. Plastic is used in construction.
12. They are poor conductors of heat and electricity.
13. They are waterproof and airtight and are used to store
several food items.
14. Plastics are widely used in the healthcare industry.
Some of them are used in packing tablets, syringes, gloves,
and many other instruments.
15. Teflon is a special plastic that is used in the non-stick
coating on cookware as oil and water do not stick on it.

Plastic as Curse
1. Plastics are non-renewable resources.
2. They are toxic and produce toxic fumes when burnt.
3. Plastic is low heat resistant and has poor ductility.
4. Plastic is non-biodegradable.
5. They are responsible for choking the drains.
6. They are harmful to the environment by polluting it.
7. Recycling plastic is hard and very expensive.
8. Plastic ends up in harmful wastage and harmful to our health
and can cause cancer also.
9. Some animals and birds in search of food consume some
amounts of plastic, by which many of them end up choking.
10. Burning of plastic is a very slow process that releases a
lot of poisonous gases into the atmosphere.

Effects of Plastic on Environment

1. The plastics do not decompose on their own. It takes
hundreds or even thousands of years to get them
decomposed. So, the careless way of disposable
plastics on roads blocks the drains sewers causing
dirty drain water on the roads. When heavy rains
occur, the choked drains and sewers cannot carry away
all the rainwater quickly, and hence a flood-like
 situation is created mainly in the areas where drains
and sewers are present.
2. The plastic objects float on the seawater after being
dumped. Sometimes the marine animals get confused
by these objects and consume them as their food. This
plastic waste gets stuck in the alimentary canal of the
marine animals due to their bigger size. This waste
creates a block in the food path, and the animals may
die due to starvation or infection.
3. Plastics are responsible for creating global warming.
All plastics are mainly made from toxic materials like
benzene and vinyl hydrochloride. These chemicals can
cause cancer. The burning of plastics releases many
poisonous gases into the atmosphere and causes air
pollution.
4. The chlorinated plastic releases many harmful
chemicals into the surrounding soil, which then seep
into the groundwater or other surrounding water
sources and the ecosystem. This can harm the species
that drink the polluted groundwater.

Ways to Minimise Overuse of Plastics

We can minimise or reduce the overuse of plastics by
following ways:
1. We should reuse plastic bags while going shopping, thus
reducing the number of bags used.
2. We should use paper bags to reduce the use of plastic bags.
3. We should use jute bags or cotton bags while going
shopping.
4. We should segregate biodegradable and non-biodegradable
waste and dispose of them accordingly.
5. We should never dispose of or throw plastic bags or plastic
articles into water bodies, sewage systems, roads, streets, or
on barren lands.
6. We should collect thermoplastics separately and send them
for recycling.
7. The process of incineration or burning plastics at very high
temperatures reduces the volume of wastes and provides a
useful supply of heat energy.

Recycling of Plastic

To save the environment from harmful uses of plastic, we

have to follow 3Rs- Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Reduce
the use of plastic and reuse harmless plastic to help reduce
its overproduction. Recycling and reusing plastic materials
are the most effective perspective to reduce the
environmental impacts of open landfills and open-air
burning that are often practised to manage domestic waste.
Many recycling bins can be placed in cities and on beaches
in coastal areas to accelerate the prevention and reduction of
plastic pollution. The plastic recycling methods involve
collecting, sorting, shredding, washing, melting, and
reorganisation and formation of new products.
Fig: The Process of Recycling of Plastic