Omar Khalid
Plastic is a material derived from natural, organic materials such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt, and crude oil. The term 'plastic' refers to the material's malleability or plasticity, allowing it to be moulded into various forms. While plastic is a product of natural resources, its impact on the environment has been a topic of concern. Some consider plastic to be harmful to human, wildlife, and ecosystem health, while others argue that it contributes to sustainability by reducing fuel consumption during shipping due to its lightweight nature. With the current focus on renewable energy, the production of plastic from natural resources like crude oil is facing scrutiny. As a result, there is a growing emphasis on exploring alternative sources for plastic production, such as waste, renewable materials, or CO2.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Plastic derived from | Natural, organic materials such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt, and crude oil |
| Plastic as a natural resource | Considered a natural resource by some, as it is derived from natural materials and all "man-made" is natural |
| Not considered a natural resource by others, as it is harmful to humans, wildlife, and the ecosystem | |
| Considered a non-renewable resource due to its negative environmental impact and the inability to replenish the petroleum used in its production | |
| Plastic production | Plastics are polymers, made by linking chains of molecules (monomers) together to create a large molecule |
| Modern synthetic plastics were invented over 100 years ago | |
| Plastic usage | Plastics are versatile and used in a wide range of consumer and industrial applications, including packaging, toys, phones, vehicles, and homes |
| Plastics contribute to sustainability by making products lighter and reducing the fuel required for shipping or transport, thereby lowering emissions | |
| Plastics are also contributing to a safe, healthy, and environmentally responsible future through initiatives like Operation Clean Sweep® |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic's natural origins
Plastics are organic materials derived from natural, raw materials such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt, and crude oil. Crude oil, a complex mixture of thousands of compounds, is processed through distillation in an oil refinery to separate it into lighter components called fractions. One of these fractions, naphtha, is crucial for plastic production.
The first synthetic polymer was invented in 1869 by John Wesley Hyatt, who treated cellulose derived from cotton fiber with camphor to create a plastic that could be crafted into various shapes and imitate natural substances. This discovery was revolutionary as it freed human manufacturing from the limitations of nature.
Another early plastic was cellulose nitrate, invented by Alexander Parkes in 1862. This was made by dissolving cotton fibres in nitric and sulphuric acids and then mixing them with vegetable oil. This plastic served as a cheap and colourful substitute for ivory or tortoiseshell.
The term "plastic" comes from the Greek word "plastikos" and the Latin "plasticus," both meaning "fit for moulding" or "capable of being moulded into various forms." This refers to the defining characteristic of plasticity, which allows plastics to be moulded, extruded, or pressed into a diverse range of solid forms.
While most plastics today are produced from natural gas and petroleum, a growing minority are produced from renewable resources like polylactic acid. The development of plastics has allowed for the creation of new materials, contributing to sustainability and environmental protection.
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Plastic's environmental impact
Plastics are derived from natural, organic materials such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt, and crude oil. They are also bad for the environment. They are polluting the seas and land, contributing to climate change, and altering habitats and natural processes. Plastic pollution has become ubiquitous in natural and built environments, raising concerns about potential harm to humans and nature. Research shows that plastic pollution may take between 100 to 1,000 years or more to decompose, depending on environmental conditions. Once in the environment, plastic pollution can fragment into smaller pieces of plastic, known as microplastics. These microplastics are found in every ecosystem on the planet, from the Antarctic tundra to tropical coral reefs.
The environmental impact of discarded plastics includes littering, leaching of toxic components, and the contamination of ecosystems and the food chain with microplastics. This has unknown health effects but is known to impact marine life and human health via the food chain. Every year, 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste leak into aquatic ecosystems, polluting lakes, rivers, and seas. This plastic pollution can put marine species at higher risk of ingesting plastic, suffocating, or becoming entangled. Research indicates that more than 1,500 species in marine and terrestrial environments are known to ingest plastics.
The durability of plastics means that discarded items remain in the environment for generations. Plastic production also contributes to climate change, with annual emissions related to plastic production in the EU amounting to around 13.4 million tonnes of CO2. In addition, plastic waste affects human health and aquatic life. The EU is taking action to tackle plastic pollution and marine litter and accelerate the transition to a circular and resource-efficient plastics economy.
While plastics have contributed to sustainability by making products lighter and reducing the fuel required for shipping or transport, the global consumption of plastic is accelerating. Over half of the plastic ever manufactured has been produced since 2000, and we are set to double our current global annual production by 2050. Only about an estimated 9% of the plastics ever produced have been recycled, and 12% have been incinerated. This highlights the need for a systemic transformation to achieve a transition to a circular economy.
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Plastic's renewability
Plastic is derived from natural, organic materials such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt, and crude oil. Crude oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and has been the primary ingredient for most plastics for decades. According to the American Chemistry Council, over 90% of all plastic products today are derived from this non-renewable resource.
However, the development of renewable bio-based plastics is an emerging trend in the industry. Bio-plastics are derived from renewable biological sources such as plants, including starch, sugarcane, and algae. They offer a promising future for the plastic industry, with the potential to be both bio-based and biodegradable. The net carbon emissions associated with bio-plastics are generally lower since they are derived from plants that absorb carbon dioxide during growth.
While bio-plastics are a step towards renewability, it is important to note that they are not a perfect solution. Bio-plastics currently make up only 1-2% of all plastics, and not all of them are biodegradable. The cultivation of crops specifically for bio-plastics could also compete with food crops, leading to potential land and resource conflicts.
Additionally, the challenge of recycling plastic waste remains. According to a 2017 study, only 9% of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled, with the rest incinerated, landfilled, or littering the environment. The durability of plastic, which is one of its most prized properties, becomes an ecological curse as it takes hundreds to thousands of years to decompose, leading to severe ecological implications.
In conclusion, while plastic in its conventional form is non-renewable, the development of bio-plastics offers a glimpse of a renewable future for the industry. However, challenges remain, including the low market share of bio-plastics, the issue of biodegradability, and the need for effective strategies to deal with plastic waste.
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Plastic's synthetic creation
Plastic is derived from natural, organic materials such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt, and crude oil. Crude oil, a complex mixture of thousands of compounds, needs to be processed before it can be used to create plastic. This process begins with the distillation of crude oil in an oil refinery, which separates the heavy crude oil into groups of lighter components called fractions. Each fraction is a mixture of hydrocarbon chains (chemical compounds made up of carbon and hydrogen), which differ in terms of the size and structure of their molecules. Naphtha, one of these fractions, is the crucial compound for plastic production.
The creation of synthetic plastics began with the invention of Bakelite by Leo Baekeland in 1907. Bakelite was the first fully synthetic plastic, meaning it contained no molecules found in nature. Baekeland used phenol, an acid derived from coal tar, to create a material that was durable, heat-resistant, and could be mass-produced. The development of Bakelite opened the floodgates to a wave of now-familiar synthetic plastics, including polystyrene in 1929, polyester in 1930, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polythene in 1933, and nylon in 1935.
The first synthetic polymer was invented in 1869 by John Wesley Hyatt, who treated cellulose derived from cotton fiber with camphor to create a plastic that could be crafted into various shapes and imitate natural substances. This discovery was inspired by a New York firm's offer of $10,000 for a substitute for ivory, the demand for which had increased due to the growing popularity of billiards.
Today, plastics are mostly produced from natural gas and petroleum, but an increasing number are being produced from renewable resources like polylactic acid. The two main processes used to produce plastics are polymerisation and polycondensation, both of which involve linking chains of molecules (monomers) together to create large molecules (polymers). An example of this is polystyrene, where monomers such as ethylene and propylene are linked to form long polymer chains.
The versatility, durability, flexibility, low weight, and low-cost production of synthetic plastics have led to their widespread use around the world. However, the inability of organisms to digest these materials has resulted in environmental concerns. As a result, there is a growing focus on producing plastics from waste, renewable materials, or CO2.
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Plastic's role in sustainability
Plastics are derived from natural, organic materials such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt, and crude oil. They are also increasingly being made from waste, renewable materials, or CO2. Plastics are polymers, which means they are made by linking chains of molecules (monomers) together to form a large molecule (polymer).
Plastics have a vital role to play in sustainability. They are lightweight, durable, and easy to mould, making them ideal for packaging and protecting products from damage during transit. This helps streamline operations, reduce shipping costs, and minimize waste, making them essential for the smooth functioning of the global supply chain. For example, using plastics instead of glass makes a product much lighter, so shipping or transport requires less fuel to move it, and therefore fewer emissions.
Plastics also contribute to safety. For example, plastics used in cars reduce weight and allow for the addition of safety features such as airbags.
Plastics are also socially sustainable. The plastics industry in the UK, for example, is socially inclusive and offers a wide range of careers with considerable room for development, progression, and training.
However, plastic pollution is a global problem. Approximately 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste leak into aquatic ecosystems each year, polluting lakes, rivers, and seas and altering habitats and natural processes. This reduces ecosystems' ability to adapt to climate change and directly affects millions of people's livelihoods, food production capabilities, and social well-being.
The shift towards sustainable plastics is therefore a necessity for businesses trying to lower their environmental footprint and meet increasing regulatory and consumer demands for sustainability.
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Frequently asked questions
Plastic is derived from natural, organic materials such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt, and crude oil. However, it is not considered a natural resource because it is a synthetic product that does not occur in nature.
Plastic is considered man-made because it is not found in nature and has been synthetically created by humans. The process involves altering the molecular structure of organic materials, which is argued to be the dangerous difference between plastic and natural materials.
Plastics are made from non-renewable resources, such as petroleum, which cannot be replenished once diminished. This is in contrast to renewable resources such as trees, which can be replaced by planting new ones.
Plastics have been found to negatively impact human, wildlife, and ecosystem health. They contribute to climate change, cause pollution, and harm the soil and plant life around landfills. Additionally, the production of plastics wastes precious crude oils and contributes to rising gas prices.
To reduce the environmental impact of plastics, reusable alternatives can be promoted. For example, customers can be encouraged to use their own tote bags when shopping, and industries can explore using alternative materials such as waste, renewable resources, or CO2 to create more sustainable products.
