McNeilMatrix2Post



= Plastic Bags and Bottles and Their Place in the Matrix = = = We all use and rely on plastics to make our lives easier and more pleasant. Plastics surround us everywhere we go, in our cars, homes and even work. It’s by far one of the versatile materials due to its cost and manufacturability. Unfortunately we will need to find a replacement to this wonderful material because it is filling landfills throughout the world, requires petroleum to produce, and takes years to decompose into the earth. We can however begin to alleviate the problem by reducing the amount of plastic we use in disposable grocery bags or used plastic water bottles. The two uses of plastic alone contribute greatly to the amount of plastic thrown out by individuals. Below are some statistics and facts that begin to reflect the number of plastic bags and bottles consumed in this country as well as worldwide (Earth911). To remedy these problems would take very little so it’s imperative that the public begins to be informed of the harm that is caused by the use of plastic bags. As you can see from the statistics above in 2006 only 2% of bags used were recycled. Many countries including Germany, Holland, Ireland, and Italy are considering banning free thin plastic bags, or considering action to reduce their use (Plastic Packaging). In the United States, Oakland and San Francisco are proposing laws to restrict or ban plastic bags. This just begins to exhibit how serious some governments are about eliminating the problem of plastic bags (Graber).
 * U.S. GDP for plastics and rubber products in 1977: $16,900,000,000
 * U.S. GDP for plastics and rubber products in 2006: $71,400,000,000
 * Number of plastic bags used worldwide each year: 4,000,000,000,000 to 5,000,000,000,000
 * Amount of oil used annually to produce plastic bags: 17,200,000,000 to 21,500,000,000 gallons
 * How long this amount of oil would fuel the entire U.S. economy: about 20 to 25 days
 * Number of plastic bags used by Americans each year: 110,000,000,000
 * Amount of plastic bags recycled in the United States in 2006: 2%
 * Amount of plastic used worldwide every year just to bottle water: 1,500,000 to 2,700,000 tons
 * Number of plastic water bottles sold in the United States in 1997: 4,000,000,000
 * Number of plastic water bottles sold here in 2005: 26,000,000,000
 * Increase in plastic water bottles sold between 1997 and 2005: 650%
 * Number of water bottles recycled in the United States in 2004: 1 in 6

There a also a great number of alternatives to Plastic, that prove to me much friendlier to the environment, For instance Glass is easily recyclable and is made from silica which is an abundant resource. There are also more organic replacements including PHB Biocomposites. PHB Biocomposites is a material that is a modified form of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). What makes PHB so unique is that it is created naturally from the biological fermentation process of many species of bacteria. It closely resembles man-made polypropylene, and is completely biodegradable without leaving behind residue. While it's still less flexible than petroleum-based plastics, it can be used in packaging, agriculture and biomedical products (Trimarchi).

In conclusion it would prove to be very easy to eliminate plastic bags as well as plastic bottles with more sustainable replacements such as non-disposable bags, glass, or PHB Biocomposites. If our world can embrace these changes then we would save vast amounts of petroleum and eliminate the waste found in landfills across the country.

Works Cited Graber, Wendy. "Statistical Grok: Trash Talk Or a Look at Plastic Waste." Http://www.nicholas.duke.edu. 1 Aug. 2008. Web. 3 Nov. 2011. .

"Plastic Packaging - Sustainability and Dealing with Plastic Packaging Waste." AZoM™ - The A to Z of Materials and AZojomo - The "AZo Journal of Materials Online" Web. 04 Nov. 2011. .

"Plastic Recycling Facts - Earth911.com." Earth911.com - Find Recycling Centers and Learn How To Recycle. Web. 3 Nov. 2011. .

Trimarchi, Maria. "HowStuffWorks "Top 5 Eco-friendly Substitutes for Plastic"" //HowStuffWorks "Science"// How Stuff Works. Web. 03 Nov. 2011. .