The Ultimate Destination of Plastic

Plastic Is Produced Every Day, But Where Does It End Up?

Plastics are cheap and widely used. After injection molding by an injection molding machine, a variety of products can be manufactured, and the utilization rate far exceeds that of all metals. “Using plastic to replace steel” has become a trend. As a necessity of our lives, it exists in every place and every corner.

With the progress of industry, more and more varieties are developed. Each plastic has its own characteristics of use. Most of them are light and strong, have stable chemical properties, are not easy to corrode, and have low processing costs. They are transformed into desired properties according to different additives and molded into various desired shapes.

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However, the shortcomings of plastics cannot be ignored. The dimensional stability is poor, and the temperature influence coefficient destroys the structure. Most plastics are light and insoluble in water. They are not easily degraded in the natural environment and will produce toxic gases when burned. It is very difficult for different types of plastics to be compatible, and the recycling cost is high, the classification is difficult, and the secondary processing is difficult.

Now, when you open your eyes, it is a world of plastic. It is scraped from the sky, used on the ground, and swims in the sea. Feel at a loss as to how to treat the plastic after use. If it is discarded on the soil, the soil cannot absorb water, and the sun will produce harmful gases that affect the growth of plants. Unlike metal, it takes at least 200 years for plastics to degrade in nature, which is a terrifying time. If the plastic is burned, harmful gases will be generated, which will cause the second pollution of the environment.

Landfill operations are currently the main way to dispose of garbage. However, due to the light weight and large volume of plastics, garbage pits are very likely to be filled, and landfill garbage can also damage groundwater resources. In the endless sea, a garbage island made of plastic will be formed. The beautiful coastline is full of floating rubbish, 80%-90% is plastic. The fish and organisms in the sea mistakenly eat plastic as food and cannot digest it and cause death.

Plastic recycling is also a headache. Many plastics have different molecular structures and cannot be recycled at the same time. They require multiple processes for sorting and screening, which far exceed the price of their raw materials. Therefore, plastic pollution has severely damaged our ecological environment and our homes, and even the most remote places on the earth are threatened by plastic pollution. We need to restrain our behavior, do not throw garbage everywhere, do a good job of sorting garbage, and use less plastic bags. We hope that in the near future, biodegradable plastics can enter our lives and make our lives and homes better.

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