Plastic is a wonderful material in many ways - it's strong, easy to shape and cheap to produce. However, 322 million tonnes of plastic are being produced every year - equating to 44 kilos of plastic for every person on earth.
This means that unless more people actively support recycling initiatives, including reducing the amount of single-use plastics, the waste polluting our oceans will continue to increase.
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According to the latest statistics, enough plastic is thrown away each year to circle the earth four times. In the UK alone, 13 million plastic bottles are used every year, while a staggering 35 billion are thrown away annually in the United States.
While it's clear something must be done to stem the tide of waste plastic, researchers are questioning whether alternatives, such as using paper bags rather than plastic bags in retail and food outlets, are really better for the environment.
Paper versions of many plastic products are on the increase, including paper bags and drinking straws. While this is helping the environment in terms of reducing plastic waste, some environmentalists believe it will impact negatively on the planet in other ways.
Plastic v paper
The main environmental concern regarding paper products is the fact that paper is made from trees - which are crucial in reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels that help to protect the earth from climate change.
Plastic bags are made from petroleum by-products (materials that have already been processed for other purposes), while paper bags are made from raw materials. Manufacturing more paper leads to increased deforestation and damage to wildlife habitats.
In addition, producing paper bags uses more resources, in terms of energy and water. To make a paper bag, it takes around 10% more energy and four times more water than it does a plastic alternative. It takes even more energy and water to make recycled paper.
In addition, paper bags are considerably heavier and bulkier than plastic bags, so they require more fuel to transport them. For example, seven trucks are needed to transport two million paper bags, compared with one truck to transport two million plastic bags.
Apart from environmental considerations, paper products are usually more expensive than their plastic counterparts. For example, plastic straws, on average, can cost up to 80% less than paper ones, so using paper products may not be viable for businesses, unless they increase their prices.
Considering the pros and cons of plastic v paper, it's not as simple as choosing one over the other, as more complex issues are involved.
Reusable products
Consumers are urged to avoid single-use items altogether, in favour of reusable products, such as fabric bags, glass or stainless steel water and soft drinks bottles and actual coffee cups, rather than throwaway bottles and cartons. Using the same container many times is more environmentally-friendly than throwaway plastic or paper.
The true ecological footprint of a product will depend on how many times it is used. For example, a non-organic cotton bag must be used 131 times before it becomes the best green option. This is because it uses more resources, in terms of its manufacturing and transportation, than a single plastic bag.
A non-woven polypropylene bag needs to be used 11 times to be more environmentally-friendly than single-use plastic.
A number of businesses are opting for reusable products in order to save money and "go green".
Biodegradable products
Using biodegradable products is another option for consumers who wish to protect the planet. Inventor Vegar Ottesen is aiming to make a biodegradable product using nanocellulose. His research led to him winning a place in the regional final of the Researchers’ Grand Prix competition in Trondheim, Norway.
Ottesen explains that nanocellulose consists of small fibres, found in the cell walls of plants. It is non-toxic and biodegradable and can be extracted from forestry and agricultural waste products. It can be made transparent, yet it is stronger than steel.
These properties are the key elements of Ottesen's ongoing research. He believes that if properly developed, nanocellulose can be used for wrapping food and other items that need protection from the environment.
He is currently studying the use of nanocellulose fibres as a protective layer over cardboard to potentially replace single-use plastics and aluminium in many applications, such as drinks cartons.
One of the challenges faced by Ottesen and his team at the Åbo Akademi University in Finland is finding a way of successfully sticking the nanocellulose (a very wet material) to cardboard or paper. Bubbles can occur on the surface, and the finished material can become brittle and crack once it is dry.
They have been testing different methods for applying nanocellulose to cardboard to achieve the required smooth results, describing their tests so far as "promising".
Recycling
Unless a long-term viable solution is found to plastic waste, consumers are urged to recycle their plastic products whenever possible to help protect the environment.
As a responsible supplier of a wide range of plastic products, Solent Plastics supports recycling and other initiatives that help to protect the planet.
Manufactured from recycled polypropylene, our Euronorm ECO recycled plastic Euro containers are perfect for many uses.
We also sell recycling waste bins to help schools, businesses and organisations with their own recycling schemes.
Give us a call on 01794 514478 for further information on our wide range of plastic products, that can be used again and again.