Technology 7: Plastic

While plastic is very common in our world, not all types of plastic are used in the same manner, nor in the same amount. In the photos that I took of the plastic in my material box, I had about 8 pieces of plastic that belonged to the fifth group, 6 pieces that belonged to group 1, and then one piece for groups 2, 3, 4, 6, and unlabeled. I didn’t find any plastic that was marked with the number 7. This means that mainly, in my material box, there was polyethylene terephthalate(PETE) and polypropylene(PP).

I believe that PETE is commonly used because it is light yet strong and can be produced at a low-cost. The reasons for why people use PP are probably quite similar, and PP is probably common because it is cheap, heat resistant, light, tough, and easy to manufacture. This means that both these plastics are economical. Also, they probably just fit the needs of what many objects require. For example, PETE is used in water bottles because plastic water bottles need to be cheap but don’t need to be all that strong. Additionally, there has recently been a push for people to use materials that are recyclable so many probably insist to use plastic that can be recycled, allowing themselves to feel like they’re doing a good job saving the environment, even if they drive a gas guzzling SUV to work everyday without carpooling and constantly leave all the lights on in their house, even when they’re not home*. Both PETE and PP are recyclable, which is another reason for why they may be so readily used. However, while reusing PP is encouraged, because it is strong and serves as a barrier against moisture, grease and chemicals, reusing PETE is usually a bad idea, because that increases the risk of leaching and bacterial growth. These are a few reasons for why PETE and PP may be commonly used.

But honestly, while people are told to reuse and recycle, I think reusing got lost somewhere along the way and now, people recycle like crazy. This makes sense because when you recycle something, you don’t have to think about it anything and you get a good feeling because you feel like you’re saving the world. Reusing the item takes more work for the user because you have to clean the object multiple times, and truthfully, most people just aren’t willing to put up with that kind of work. I recently watched this podcast which talked about where our recycling was going these days, and recycling objects is only done if it’s financially smart. So, is all the plastic we recycle really being recycled, or is it just kept in a storage unit somewhere? That’s what I wonder.

Note: I tried to upload the photos that I had taken of my plastic, but apparently the format wasn’t supported so I couldn’t do that.

* I know I’m probably ranting here, but I’m in a really bad mood today and I really don’t like people who preach about saving the environment and whatnot and then waste energy. For example, there are some celebrities who give speeches about how we need to stop global warming and then, after the speech, they hop into their private jet which uses enough energy to light up a small country for a month. These people think that just by talking, they can solve everything. Talking does nothing if you don’t take action. Hypocrites are probably my least favorite type of people. They drive me nuts. While I understand that these people may be trying to make a difference, I think they should look at themselves first before criticizing everyone else.

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