The Development of Plastic and Its Effect on the Environment

A FUTURE OF PLASTICS? The Development of Plastic & Its Effects on the Environment Since the 1940s when the mass production of plastic began, plastic has become essential in our society. More than 300 million tons are produced annually worldwide. And the amount of plastic created in the first ten years of this century approached the total produced for the entirety of the last century. THE (ACCIDENTAL) HISTORY OF PLASTIC PLASTIC 1839 CHARLES GOODYEAR discovered "vulcanization," making rubber stronger. The rubber then became resilient after cooling. Heated again, its resilience was retained. A HISTORY CHARLES SCHONBEIN, a Swiss chemist, accidentally "discovered another polymer after spilling a nitric acid/sulfuric acid mixture on cotton. PLASTIC 1846 HISTORY JOHN HYATT created a plastic polymer when nitrocellulose PLASTIC reacted with camphor and called it "celluloid," later Used in film, billiard balls, dental plates, and 1870 HISTORY ping-pong balls. LEO BAEKELAND created "Bakelite," the first truly PLASTIC synthetic polymer, This can be molded and solidified 1909 into hard plastic. It is also resistant to heat and electricity and is hard to melt once cooled HISTORY/ WALLACE HUME CAROTHERS invented nylon, a plastic polymer made from adipic acid and diaminohexane monomers taken from strong fibers like silk. It is lightweight, strong, and durable. PLASTIC 1930 HISTORY THE DANGERS Approximately 4% of world oil production is used to make plastics. of Plastic to the Environment Floating plastic waste can survive for a thousand years in water. It is often ingested by marine animals. It can injure or poison wildlife. Plastic buried in landfills can leach harmful chemicals into groundwater. Chemicals like bisphenol A and polybrominated diphenyl ethers found in bottles and storage of food or beverage can leach into food and drinks. PLASTICS CAN HELP SOLVE Instead of glass or metal as packaging, plastics can: some environmental problems BIOPLASTICS: V Take less time to break down Cargille Dow made a clear plastic from corn. This can be woven into sports apparel, upholstery fabrics, and bioplastic wraps. V Require less energy to produce V Are non-toxic V Are easier to recycle REDUCE ENERGY BY 52% BIOPLASTICS REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION BY 55% They are made from renewable resources like bacteria and plants instead of non-renewable ones like oil and natural gas. PLASTIC 1997 HISTORY / $$ RECYCLING Segregating plastics Selling Washing Shredding into Pellets Drying Draining to remove contaminants Melting Chemist Jeanette Garcia invented a new revolutionary plastic, code-named "Titan." Completely by accident, the IBM researcher created a super strong, recyclable plastic. Lighter Recyclable IEM TITAN Stronger than bone Simple components PLASTIC 2014 HISTORY Inexpensive Self-healing Plastics have been used for years in manufacturing cellphones, but did you know that a few phone companies have released "green" phones? Motorola Samsung Samsung Sony Ericsson ZTE W233 Renew Reclaim Blue Earth S7550 C901 GreenHeart Coral 200 Solar The world's first phone made from recycled water bottle plastics. It's also the first carbon-neutral handset, and has a long-lasting battery Made of 80% recyclable materials and designed with organic components and packaging Made of recycled water bottle plastics. It has solar panels on the back and software that tracks your carbon emissions Its casing is made of 50% recycled plastic & its manual is electronic instead of paper. The phone is painted with water-based paint instead of solvent-based, and its headset is 100% recycled. Designed with a built-in solar panel to recharge the battery Unfortunately, majority of these phones are no longer available from the manufacturers. However, we now have smartphones that are eco-friendly in some ways: Apple iPhone 5S Has less harmful chemicals Samsung Galaxy S5 Its packaging and certifications are made of recycled paper, and the ink used is soy ink Sony Xperia P Has low copper content and makes efficient use of precious metals on its body than its previous models If you care about the environment, disposing of your electronics safely should be high in your priorities. Don't just throw them in the trash bin. Here are some things you can do: $$$ Leave it to a nearby drop-off for a charity Send them to an Sell it to a refurbishment electronics store with company & earn money free recycling eCycle Best f Like Us www.facebook.com/eCycleBestOfficial 84 Coney Island Drive Sparks, NV 89431 www.eCycleBest.com y Follow Us www.twitter.com/eCycleBest1 %24 ImII.