Why we never give up plastics

Why we never give up plastics? It’s not possible

A long time ago, people lived without plastics. No, they didn’t live in caves, and the Earth was cleaner. Today, we strive to make it cleaner again. But is it possible to live without plastics?

Let’s say people will reduce usage of plastics. On Earth, there are approximately 8 billion people (as of 2023). Out of these, around 258 million people have no education, 773 million people have very low or low education, and about 773 million people cannot read and write. Additionally, around 1.3 billion people rely on government support and donations, and approximately 2 billion people’s salaries do not cover life standards like medical treatment and minimum food supply. Will these people reduce plastics? Do they have environmental interest?

Here’s a very short list of what we would lose if we stopped using plastics, along with possible alternatives, their complications, and benefits.

Convenience and Daily Life

  • Convenient grocery shopping: No more easy-to-carry plastic bags.
    • Alternative: Reusable cloth bags.
    • Complication: Higher initial cost and need for regular cleaning.
    • Significant Impact: This would significantly reduce convenience, especially for quick, unplanned shopping trips.
  • Portability: Harder to carry items without lightweight plastic bags.
    • Alternative: Paper bags.
    • Complication: Less durable and not waterproof.
    • Significant Impact: Paper bags can tear easily, especially in bad weather, making them unreliable.
  • Convenient disposal: More complex waste management.
    • Alternative: Biodegradable bags.
    • Complication: Higher cost and limited availability.
    • Significant Impact: Managing waste would become more cumbersome and expensive.
  • Everyday convenience: Overall reduction in the convenience of daily life.
    • Alternative: Various reusable containers.
    • Complication: Increased effort in cleaning and maintenance.
    • Significant Impact: Daily routines would become more time-consuming and less efficient.
  • Travel: Harder to pack and protect items.
    • Alternative: Hard-shell suitcases and cloth wraps.
    • Complication: Increased weight and bulk.
    • Significant Impact: Travelling would become more cumbersome and less convenient.
  • Bulk buying: More difficult without sturdy packaging.
    • Alternative: Cardboard boxes.
    • Complication: Less durable and more prone to damage.
    • Significant Impact: Bulk items could be damaged more easily, leading to increased waste and cost.
  • Convenient storage: Less efficient storage solutions at home.
    • Alternative: Glass or metal containers.
    • Complication: Heavier and more expensive.
    • Significant Impact: Storage would take up more space and be less practical.

Food and Hygiene

  • Food preservation: Shorter shelf life for many perishable items.
    • Alternative: Glass jars and metal tins.
    • Complication: Heavier and more expensive.
    • Significant Impact: Increased food spoilage would lead to higher costs and more frequent shopping trips.
  • Hygiene: Increased risk of contamination without sealed packaging.
    • Alternative: Wax paper and cloth wraps.
    • Complication: Less effective at sealing and preserving hygiene.
    • Significant Impact: Higher risk of foodborne illnesses and contamination.
  • Food waste: More food spoilage without proper packaging.
    • Alternative: Reusable silicone bags.
    • Complication: Higher initial cost and need for regular cleaning.
    • Significant Impact: Increased food waste would be both costly and environmentally damaging.
  • Product freshness: Reduced freshness for many products.
    • Alternative: Vacuum-sealed glass containers.
    • Complication: Expensive and less convenient.
    • Significant Impact: Reduced product quality and increased spoilage.

Medical and Safety

  • Medical supplies: Sterility of medical equipment could be compromised.
    • Alternative: Sterilizable metal containers.
    • Complication: Higher cost and more complex sterilisation process.
    • Significant Impact: Compromised sterility could lead to higher infection rates and medical complications.
  • Safety: Increased risk of breakage for fragile items.
    • Alternative: Foam or cardboard packaging.
    • Complication: Less effective at protecting items.
    • Significant Impact: Higher risk of damage to valuable or delicate items.
  • Emergency supplies: Less reliable packaging for emergency kits.
    • Alternative: Metal or glass containers.
    • Complication: Heavier and less portable.
    • Significant Impact: Emergency kits would be less effective and harder to transport.

Economic and Environmental Impact

  • Cost-effectiveness: Alternatives might be more expensive.
    • Alternative: Biodegradable plastics.
    • Complication: Higher production costs and limited availability.
    • Significant Impact: Increased costs for consumers and businesses.
  • Cost of goods: Potential increase in product prices.
    • Alternative: Reusable packaging.
    • Complication: Higher initial costs passed on to consumers.
    • Significant Impact: Higher living costs for consumers.
  • Environmental impact: While reducing plastic waste, other materials might have their own environmental costs.
    • Alternative: Paper or glass.
    • Complication: Higher energy and water usage in production.
    • Significant Impact: Potentially greater overall environmental footprint.
  • Recycling: Challenges in recycling alternative materials.
    • Alternative: Compostable materials.
    • Complication: Requires specific composting facilities.
    • Significant Impact: Limited recycling infrastructure could lead to increased waste.

Packaging and Storage

  • Lightweight packaging: Heavier alternatives could increase transportation costs.
    • Alternative: Cardboard or metal.
    • Complication: Increased weight and bulk.
    • Significant Impact: Higher transportation costs and increased carbon footprint.
  • Durability: Less durable packaging options.
    • Alternative: Glass or metal.
    • Complication: Heavier and more prone to breakage.
    • Significant Impact: Increased risk of product damage and higher costs.
  • Flexibility: Less flexible materials for packaging.
    • Alternative: Paper or cloth.
    • Complication: Less adaptable to different shapes and sizes.
    • Significant Impact: Reduced packaging efficiency and increased waste.
  • Storage: Less efficient storage solutions.
    • Alternative: Glass or metal containers.
    • Complication: Heavier and more space-consuming.
    • Significant Impact: Less practical and more costly storage solutions.
  • Versatility: Fewer versatile packaging options.
    • Alternative: Paper or cloth.
    • Complication: Limited use cases and durability.
    • Significant Impact: Reduced functionality and increased costs.
  • Product protection: Higher damage rates during shipping.
    • Alternative: Foam or cardboard.
    • Complication: Less effective at protecting items.
    • Significant Impact: Increased product damage and waste.

Innovation and Accessibility

  • Innovation: Slower pace of packaging innovation.
    • Alternative: Biodegradable and compostable materials.
    • Complication: Higher research and development costs.
    • Significant Impact: Slower adoption of new, more sustainable packaging solutions.
  • Accessibility: Harder for people with disabilities to handle packaging.
    • Alternative: Easy-open metal or glass containers.
    • Complication: Heavier and potentially more dangerous.
    • Significant Impact: Reduced accessibility and increased risk of injury.
  • Branding: Limited options for attractive packaging designs.
    • Alternative: Paper or cloth.
    • Complication: Less flexibility in design and printing.
    • Significant Impact: Reduced marketing effectiveness and brand appeal.

E-commerce and Transportation

  • E-commerce: Increased shipping costs and packaging challenges.
    • Alternative: Cardboard and biodegradable packing materials.
    • Complication: Increased weight and potential for damage.
    • Significant Impact: Higher shipping costs and increased product damage.
  • Waterproofing: Difficulty in keeping items dry.
    • Alternative: Wax-coated paper or cloth.
    • Complication: Less effective and more expensive.
    • Significant Impact: Increased risk of product damage from moisture.
  • Transportation: Increased costs and logistical challenges.
    • Alternative: Heavier and bulkier packaging materials.
    • Complication: Higher fuel consumption and transportation costs.
    • Significant Impact: Increased environmental impact and higher costs.

Electronics

  • Component protection: Increased risk of damage to electronic components during shipping and handling.
    • Alternative: Foam or cardboard.
    • Complication: Less effective at protecting delicate components.
    • Significant Impact: Higher risk of damage to expensive electronics.
  • Static protection: Difficulty in preventing static discharge without specialised plastic packaging.
    • Alternative: Anti-static paper or cloth.
    • Complication: Less effective and more expensive.
    • Significant Impact: Increased risk of damage to sensitive electronic components.
  • Waterproofing: Challenges in keeping electronic devices dry and safe from moisture.
    • Alternative: Wax-coated paper or cloth.
    • Complication: Less effective and more expensive.
    • Significant Impact: Higher risk of water damage to electronics.
  • Lightweight packaging: Heavier alternatives could increase shipping costs for electronics.
    • Alternative: Cardboard or metal.
    • Complication: Increased weight and bulk.
    • Significant Impact: Higher shipping costs and increased carbon footprint.
  • Cost-effectiveness: Higher costs for alternative packaging materials.
    • Alternative: Biodegradable plastics.
    • Complication: Higher production costs and limited availability.
    • Significant Impact: Increased costs for manufacturers and consumers.
  • Durability: Less durable packaging options could lead to more frequent damage.
    • Alternative: Glass or metal.
    • Complication: Heavier and more prone to breakage.
    • Significant Impact: Increased risk of damage and higher replacement costs.
  • Recycling: Challenges in recycling alternative materials used for electronic packaging.
    • Alternative: Compostable materials.
    • Complication: Requires specific composting facilities.
    • Significant Impact: Limited recycling options could lead to increased waste.
  • Innovation: Slower pace of packaging innovation for electronics.
    • Alternative: Biodegradable and compostable materials.
    • Complication: Higher research and development costs.
    • Significant Impact: Slower adoption of new, more sustainable packaging solutions.
  • Environmental impact: While reducing plastic waste, other materials might have their own environmental costs.
    • Alternative: Paper or glass.
    • Complication: Higher energy and water usage in production.
    • Significant Impact: Potentially greater overall environmental footprint.
  • Product protection: Higher damage rates during shipping and storage.
    • Alternative: Foam or cardboard.
    • Complication: Less effective at protecting items.
    • Significant Impact: Increased product damage and waste.

While eliminating plastics could have significant impacts, it also opens up opportunities for sustainable alternatives and innovations. Will we give up our comfort and money?

Some people from the modern world are interested in reducing the use of plastic. It’s about 20%. In reality, around 10% are actively reducing plastics. Humans don’t do enough for a cleaner world. But let’s be thankful to the minority who are trying to make Earth cleaner. It doesn’t matter if current environmental efforts are effective overall; we should never give up on at least trying.