Plastic Plastic Everywhere

Plastic pellets. Ready for manufacture.

     There are a lot of things that I can say are bad about plastic. It's hard to recycle. There is little incentive to recycle. The processes that create the plastic imbue carcinogens within the plastic. Plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose. The list goes on and on. Why then, do we use such a product? Because its damn convenient, that's why.

     Plastic is cheap to manufacture, strong and easily malleable. The plastic pellets produced by plastic factories can easily be melted back down to conform to molds that encompass everything from beach balls to prosthetics. What other such medium could we possibly use in the present to fulfill that demand. There is none. The products that we produce have no current alternative in our present day and age.


     As I look around my room, I seek to disprove myself. There are a few things that could be manufactured out of glass, I suppose. Maybe the surge protector or the refrigerator? Absolutely ludicrous. They would be broken within a week. What about metals? Obviously we do not want anything electronic to have a metal exterior. That is simply asking for disaster. It would be incredibly cost prohibitive as well.

     What does that leave use with? Plastic.

     Check out this article, The Dangers of Plastic. I believe it sums up and details the extent of damage we are causing the planet and ourselves. Also watch the documentary, "Plastic Planet"

     We are a plastic planet. Until the end of consumerism and for another two hundred plus years past that day, we will be surrounded by the possessions we held so dear. Maybe one day we will develop a plastic that requires less harmful production processes and decomposes at a faster rate. I sure hope so.