Single-use Plastics 

Single-u se Plastics From stone to metal and from metal to non-metal, we have covered a long distance in the journey of human civilisation. Stone Age was the first stage of the human civilisation, which led to the Bronze Age and then came the Iron Age (both are metals). And today, we are in the age of plastics (a non-metal).

Single-use Plastics 

Plastic is cheap, sterile, and convenient and its invention changed our lives. But it also makes us unhappy at the same time. Plastic may seem indispensable, but we still do not know what to do with plastic waste. To cut a long story short, plastic is a necessary evil. But the story of this “necessary evil” is actually a crime thriller, or you may say a thriller turned into a crime. For most of our history, humans used materials found in nature to build things we needed, including plastic. Rubber is a natural plastic but unlike rubber, synthetic plastic is a product of petroleum. Today’s human life seems very cool & comfortable but from the environment perspective, it is proving costly. Wherever we turn our face, we are occupied by things made of plastics (especially single use) such as coffee glass, straw, lid, toys, candy, or chocolate wrapper, carry bag for our takeout. If we see them from individuals’ perspective, each seems harmless. These modern conveniences are so ubiquitous—and so quickly thrown out—that they hardly register in our minds. But single-use plastics come with a steep environmental price. Our plastic addiction is having a devastating impact on our oceans, our wildlife, and our health. To improve this said scenario Government of India has taken a decision to ban the single use plastic from July 01, 2022. In this article we will see how single use plastics have become part of our life and what are its implications to not only to humans but also to other creatures of this planet.

G-20 की अध्यक्षता INDIA अब करेगा

Single-use Plastics

What is Single-use Plastic?

According to Government of India single-use plastic is that intended to be used “only once” before being disposed off or recycled. But scientifically Plastic is a word that originally meant “pliable and easily shaped.” The word plastic comes from the Greek “Plastikos” meaning “capable of being shaped or moulded”. Chemically speaking, plastic is a polymer or a long chain of monomers. Monomer is derived from Greek word “Mono” meaning one and “Meros” meaning part. Polymer is derived from Greek word “Poly” meaning many. In nature, polymers exist everywhere. But it is also possible to create them from crude oil or petroleum. These are known as synthetic polymers and plastic is one of them. Synthetic polymers have extraordinary traits. They are lightweight, durable and can be given any colour and moulded into almost any shape.

G-20 की अध्यक्षता INDIA अब करेगा

Single-use Plastics

History of Single-use plastics

In 1862, Alexander Parkes introduced the world’s first-ever man-made plastic, at the London International Exhibition. “Parkesine,” as it was called, was marketed as an alternative to ivory and horn that Parks discovered while trying to develop a synthetic substitute for shellac for waterproofing. Though the product was not a commercial success, but it represented an important first step in the development of man-made plastic. The first synthetic polymer was invented in 1869 by John Wesley Hyatt. By treating cellulose, derived from cotton fiber, with camphor, Hyatt discovered a plastic that could be crafted into a variety of shapes and made to imitate natural substances like tortoise shell, horn, linen, and ivory.

G-20 की अध्यक्षता INDIA अब करेगा

This discovery was revolutionary. For the first time human manufacturing was not constrained by the limits of nature. Nature only supplied so much wood, metal, stone, bone, tusk, and horn. But now humans could create new materials. This development helped not only people but also the environment.

Single-use Plastics 

In 1907 Leo Baekeland invented Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic, i.e., it contained no molecules found in nature. Bakelite was not only a good insulator; it was also durable, heat resistant, and, unlike celluloid, ideally suited for mechanical mass production. Hyatt’s and Baekeland’s successes led major chemical companies to invest in the research and development of new polymers, and new plastics soon joined celluloid and Bakelite. While Hyatt and Baekeland had been searching for materials with specific properties, the new research programs sought new plastics for their own sake and worried about finding uses for them later.

G-20 की अध्यक्षता INDIA अब करेगा

Single-use Plastics 

World war II proved again necessity of plastics because it saved lot of natural resources. Plastic provided the substitute of natural resources. Nylon, invented by Wallace Carothers in 1935 as a synthetic silk, was used during the war for parachutes, ropes, body armour, helmet liners, and more. Plexiglas provided an alternative to glass for aircraft windows. After looking at huge success of plastic, during W.W II, plastic production in the United States increased by 300%. The surge in plastic production continued after the war ended. Product after product, market after market, plastics challenged traditional materials and won every time for example taking the place of steel in cars, paper and glass in packaging, and wood in furniture.”

Single-use Plastics

Issues & challenges with plastic

To find the answer, we need to look at the atomic structure of plastic or the monomer, which is essentially made up of carbon and hydrogen that has a strong bond and is hard to break. Neither carbon nor hydrogen individually causes any problem, but it is the bond, making plastic non-biodegradable and causing plastic pollution. You can think just like carbon and oxygen individually does not cause any problem, but when they come together to form carbon dioxide (CO2), it causes a lot of problems. Plants have an extraordinary and unique ability to break down the bond between the carbon and oxygen atoms in carbon dioxide, which is natural way to eliminate the excess Co₂ from air. But unfortunately, no plant/animal/bacteria exist which has the ability to break down the bonds between carbon and hydrogen atoms of the monomer of plastic. This makes plastic not only non-biodegradable but virtually indestructible.  In addition, exposure to ultraviolet rays of sunlight, plastic breaks down into very small pieces known as micro plastics. Because of its miniscule size, in the coming days, micro plastics are going to be the biggest challenge for life on Earth.

Single-use Plastics

Solutions to the plastic waste

Nature has excellent mechanism of food chain. Everything gets consumed in nature. Humans have taken granted for it like any other natural waste, thinking that nature will also take care of plastic waste also. Humans have forgotten this thing that plastic is made of synthetic polymer which is not natural. Since nature take cares of natural things, hence today we are seeing everywhere mountains of plastic waste. For the first time in history, the responsibility of managing our waste has come to us–the producers. Not only are we unprepared but we are still in the state of denial. Instead of taking care of plastic waste we choose to just dump it.

We dumped our plastic garbage in our backyards, created mountains of garbage on the outskirts of our big cities and even exported it to poorer countries. When we were left with no space there, we suddenly discovered a new dumping ground which covers two-thirds of our planet–our oceans.

Finally, if we talk about solution to plastic waste following are the ways by which we can reduce plastic waste.

1. Prevent yourself off disposable plastics.
2. Stop buying water.
3. Boycott microbeads.
4. Cook more.
5. Purchase items second-hand.
6. Recycle
7. Buy in bulk.
8. Bring your own garment bag to the dry cleaner.
9. Put pressure on manufacturers.

• Single-use Plastics

  Prevent yourself off disposable plastics- 90% of the plastic items in our daily lives are used once and then chucked such as grocery bags, plastic wrap, disposable cutlery, straws, coffee-cup lids. Take note of how often you rely on these products and replace them with reusable versions. It only takes a few times of bringing your own bags to the store, silverware to the office, or travel mug to Starbucks before it becomes habit.

• Single-use Plastics 

  Stop buying water- Each year, close to 20 billion plastic bottles are tossed in the trash. Carry a reusable bottle in your bag, and you’ll never be caught having to resort to a Poland Spring or Evian again. If you’re nervous about the quality of your local tap water, look for a model with a built-in filter.

• Boycott microbeads- Those little plastic scrubbers found in so many beauty products—facial scrubs, toothpaste, body washes—might look harmless, but their tiny size allows them to slip through water-treatment plants. Unfortunately, they also look just like food to some marine animals. opt for products with natural exfoliants, like oatmeal or salt, instead.
• Cook more- Not only is it healthier but making your own meals doesn’t involve takeout containers or doggy bags. For those times when you do order in or eat out, tell the establishment you don’t need any plastic cutlery or, for some serious extra credit, bring your own food-storage containers to restaurants for leftovers.
• 

• Single-use Plastics

  Purchase items second-hand- new toys and electronic gadgets, especially, come with all kinds of plastic packaging. Search the shelves of thrift stores, neighbourhood garage sales, or online postings for items that are just as good when previously used. You’ll save yourself a few bucks, too.

• Recycle- We all know that recycle is good idea for single use plastic but less than 14% of plastic packaging is recycled. Confused about what can and can’t go in the bin? Check out the number on the bottom of the container. Most beverage and liquid cleaner bottles will be #1 (PET), which is commonly accepted by most curb side recycling companies. Containers marked #2 (HDPE; typically, slightly heavier-duty bottles for milk, juice, and laundry detergent) and #5 (PP; plastic cutlery, yogurt and margarine tubs, ketchup bottles) are also recyclable in some areas.

• Single-use Plastics 

  Buy in bulk- Single-serving yogurts, travel-size toiletries, tiny packages of nuts—consider the product-to-packaging ratio of items you tend to buy often and select the bigger container instead of buying several smaller ones over time.

• Bring your own garment bag to the dry cleaner- Invest in a zippered fabric bag and request that your cleaned items be returned in it instead of sheathed in plastic.
• Put pressure on manufacturers- Though we can make a difference through our own habits, corporations obviously have a much bigger footprint. If you believe a company could be smarter about its packaging, make your voice heard. Write a letter, send a tweet, or hit them where it really hurts: Give your money to a more sustainable competitor.

Single-use Plastics

Future of Plastics

Though there are lot of negatives of plastics, still it is critical to modern life. Plastics made possible the development of computers, cell phones, and most of the lifesaving advances of modern medicine. Lightweight and good for insulation, plastics help save fossil fuels used in heating and in transportation. Plastics raised the standard of living and made material abundance more readily available. Without plastics many possessions that we take for granted might be out of reach for all but the richest. It’s clear that plastics have a valuable place in our lives, some scientists are attempting to make plastics safer and more sustainable. Some innovators are developing bioplastics, which are made from plant crops instead of fossil fuels, to create substances that are more environmentally friendly than conventional plastics. Others are working to make plastics that are truly biodegradable. All of these innovators recognize that plastics are not perfect but that they are an important and necessary part of our future. In response to all these challenges Government of India has decided to ban Single-Use plastics from July 01, 2022.

Single-use Plastics 

Single-use Plastics

List of Plastics that are banned

• Ear buds with plastic sticks
• Plastic sticks for balloons
• Plastic bags
• Candy sticks
• Ice-cream sticks
• Polystyrene (Thermocol) for decoration
• Plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays
• wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes
• Invitation cards
• Cigarette packets
• Plastic or PVC banners less than 100 micron
• Stirrers
  

  Single-use Plastics

• 
•                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                SEE HER
  

  Bank Fraud Without OTP

  Earthquake भारत में भूकंप क्षेत्र:

  G-20 की अध्यक्षता INDIA अब करेगा