Plastics is good or bad?

The invention of plastics brings much convenience to our life; however, attendant disadvantages are also increasingly evident. That`s because it is difficult to be degraded, and if we dispose plastics through traditional method such as compost and landfill, the plastic could stay for over hundred years.

There are several disadvantages of overuse of plastics:

1. Arbitrary throw of plastic bags has destroyed the beauty of initial natural landscape;

2. Many wild animals die due to  mistaking plastics;

3. Plastic landfill will affect the permeability of soil, make destruction of the soil quality, and restrain the growth of  plants by 30% or more;

4. Landfill of plastic also affect the water quality and bring disease to human;

5. And if disposing plastics through burning, it will create poisonous gas which is harmful for animals and human and make them malformed or died.

Plastic waste

Plastic burning

Considering these disadvantages, adoptable and appropriate methods need to be utilised to dispose plastic waste. There should be several methods including:

1. Recycling plastic stuff such as plastic bottles as material of renewable plastic for reuse.

2. Collecting plastic waste as material for refining gasoline and diesel. (1 ton of plastic waste could be used to refine approximately 700 kilogram gasoline or diesel)

Plastic brings more convenience to our daily life and makes goods more flexible. However, it is a double-edged sword, and how to deal with the waste of plastic would be drawn human`s attention. And with the improvement of technology, I hope more new materials could be created to replace plastic and make our environment more sustainable.

Images from:

http://www.susanfreinkel.com/books_Plastic.html

http://cdn.songshuhui.net/wp-content/uploads/%E5%A1%91%E6%96%994%E9%A2%98%E5%9B%BE%E4%B8%8B.jpg