Advantages and Disadvantages of Plastic

Plastic was invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland as an alternative to the much more expensive material of that time, known as shellac, which was mainly extracted from lac beetles in India. Invented as an alternative, who would have thought that this small invention would go down as the most used material in human history? From grocery bags to medical tools and electronics, plastic has had a profound impact on shaping the modern world. However, plastics have their own set of advantages and disadvantages, which we will explore here, along with some interesting facts about this material. 

1.0What is Plastic? 

Plastic is a man-made polymer composed of petrochemicals such as petroleum and natural gas. It was named from the Greek word “plastikos”, which means "capable of being shaped or moulded” — a classical property of plastic. Plastics are made up of long molecule chains called polymers, which are in turn composed of several monomers. These long chains provide them with strength, flexibility, and durability, which we see in most applications of plastic.

Plastics may be softened or hardened, made transparent or opaque, thick or thin, as per the requirements of the application. Plastics today are used in furniture, clothing, electronics, transportation, medical equipment, packaging, and thousands of household items.

2.0Classification of Plastic

Plastics are generally classified into two major groups on the basis of their nature, properties, and chemical behaviour. Below is a detailed classification of plastic: 

1. Thermoplastics: This type of plastic is easily reshaped multiple times by simply applying heat. Thermoplastics become soft when heated, while they become hard when cooled down. Examples of Thermoplastics include Polyethylene (used in bags), Polypropylene, PVC (used in pipes), PET (used in bottles).

2. Thermosetting Plastics: These are very durable plastics, meaning once moulded, thermosetting plastics can not be remelted or reshaped. This type of plastic is generally heat-resistant, hence it is used in the manufacturing of hard equipment. For example, Bakelite (used in switches), Melamine (used in kitchenware), and Epoxy resins.

3.0Advantages and Disadvantages of Plastic Materials

As mentioned earlier, plastic materials have transformed modern life due to their versatile nature and the convenience of their use. These plastic materials possess a wide range of Advantages as well as Disadvantages. Some major Advantages and Disadvantages of Plastic Materials include: 

Advantages of Plastic

1. Lightweight: Plastics materials are much lighter compared to other products made up of materials like metals or glass. This property of plastics reduces the cost of transportation, along with energy consumption. 
2. Durability: Plastics are resistant towards various environmental hazards, like rust, chemicals, water, and even UV rays, which makes them suitable for manufacturing items like furniture, pipes, and packaging.
3. Flexible and Moldable: Plastics are highly flexible, able to virtually form any shape. Due to the flexibility and moldability of plastics, they are used to create complex designs in tools, toys, automotive parts, and other products.
4. Cost-Effective: The best advantage of plastics is that the mass production of this material is not expensive. Hence, they are affordable even for low-income households. 
5. Electrical Insulation: Plastics are excellent insulators of electricity, meaning they effectively resist the flow of electricity through them. This makes them ideal for coating electric wires and other electronic devices. 

Disadvantages of Plastic 

Despite having a lot of advantages, we can not deny that plastics have a huge number of disadvantages as well. Here are some major disadvantages of plastic:

1. Non-Biodegradable: The major concern about plastics is that they are non-biodegradable, meaning they take hundreds of years to decompose. This causes the accumulation of landfills and oceans with plastics. 
2. Environmental Pollution: Plastic blocks drains, polluting water bodies. These clogged plastics are ingested by marine animals, which harms the entire marine ecosystem. 
3. Toxic Production and Burning: Plastics are composed of polymers, and burning them releases toxic gases, including dioxins and furans. Besides, manufacturing plastics also significantly releases harmful chemicals into the environment. 
4. Health Hazards: Using plastics as containers can also release chemicals like Bisphenol A into food or drinks, which can seriously harm human health and unborn babies. 
5. Waste Management Challenges: Although the production of plastics is cost-effective, their waste management is costly and complex. This pushes many industries to dump their waste directly into oceans or other drains. 

4.0Application-Specific Advantages and Disadvantages of Plastic 

Here are some application-specific advantages and disadvantages of certain materials made up of plastics: 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Plastic Bags

Advantages: 

• Inexpensive to manufacture and distribute.
• Light in weight and convenient to carry.
• Watertight and reusable to a certain degree.
• Take up less storage space than cloth or paper bags.

Disadvantages: 

• Their lightweight nature makes them blow around, polluting the environment
• Non-biodegradable, and tend to be eaten by animals, resulting in lethal blockages
• Clog drainage easily, resulting in urban flooding

Advantages and Disadvantages of Plastic Packaging

Advantages:

• Keeps food and products safe from contamination.
• Allows transparency in visibility and presentation.
• Increases the shelf life of perishable products.
• Lightweight, lowering transportation costs.

Disadvantages:

• Usually constructed with many layers, rendering recycling cumbersome.
• Contributes to a huge amount of single-use plastic waste.
• Results in heightened landfill burden and ocean pollution.

5.0Alternatives to Plastic 

To counteract the aforementioned harmful effects of plastic, scientists have developed a range of alternatives that are eco-friendly and relatively inexpensive. These alternatives are: 

• Paper Bags – Biodegradable and recyclable, and are ideal for light shopping and packing. 
• Cloth or Jute Bags – Again, these are biodegradable and sturdy, and can be applied for everyday use. 
• Glass and Metal Containers – Long-lasting like plastic, yet recyclable and safe for storing food. 
• Bioplastics – These are made from corn starch or sugarcane. Therefore, it is compostable and safe for the environment. 
• Bamboo and Wooden Items – Can be used to manufacture cutlery, toothbrushes, and containers.