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Photo Credit: Pixabay What would our lives be like without plastic?

As of 2015, 8.3 billion tons of virgin plastics (plastics made from fossil fuels) were produced worldwide, of which 6.3 billion tons were discarded as plastic waste. It is worth mentioning that most plastic waste still exists on the earth, some are buried in landfills and have not decomposed, and some remain in the environment, causing environmental pollution. For example, microplastics (plastic fragments less than 5 mm in diameter) have been found in drinking water and Antarctic sea ice around the world, reaching even the innards of animals at the deepest depths of trenches. Plastic waste is so widespread that researchers say it could serve as a geological indicator of the Anthropocene, Earth's most recent history.

Imagine what the world would be like if we had magic and could wipe away all plastic with a wave of a wand. This may be a beautiful vision for the ecology of the planet, but we will soon find that plastic has penetrated every aspect of our lives-what would it do to our lives if we left plastic?

For thousands of years, humans have been using plastic-like materials, such as shellac, a resin secreted by lac worms. In fact, plastic as we know it today entered history in the 20th century. In 1907, American chemist Leo Baekeland prepared the first fully synthetic plastic, phenolic resin, by reacting phenol with formaldehyde. After the end of World War II, plastic was no longer limited to military use, but began to appear widely in daily life, especially in the 1950s when polyethylene shopping bags appeared. Since then, plastic production has increased year by year, from 2 million tons in 1950 to 380 million tons in 2015. At this rate, plastics will account for as much as 20% of petroleum products by 2050.

The packaging industry is by far the largest demand for virgin plastics. In addition, plastics are also used in important infrastructure such as construction and transportation, as well as in daily necessities such as furniture, appliances and clothing.

This means that life without plastic is not realistic. Imagining life without plastic, though, helps us figure out how to build a new, more sustainable relationship with plastic.

If hospitals stopped using plastic,

In hospitals, if plastic is not used, there will be serious consequences. Sharon George is a Senior Lecturer at Keele University in the UK, teaching environmental sustainability and green technology. "Imagine using a plastic-free dialysis device," George said. "

Plastic is almost everywhere in hospitals: gloves, tubing, syringes, blood bags, sample tubes, etc. In 1996, scientists discovered that variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), such as mad cow disease, is caused by a misfolding of a protein called prion, which survives routine sterilization in hospitals. Thus, since then, reusable surgical instruments, which were previously routine in some surgeries, have been replaced by disposable instruments. However, one study found that tonsilotomies alone create more than 100 piles of plastic waste in the UK. Although some surgeons believe hospitals overuse many medical plastics are essential without which people lose their lives.

Image source: Pixabay In addition, some everyday plastic products are also vital to health. For example, condoms and diaphragms (to block sperm), as well as masks, including plastic-based masks and reusable cloth masks. Masks help slow the spread of the new crown virus. "In the face of the new crown virus, wearing a mask is not only about your own safety, but also about others. George said,"If we stop production of plastic-based masks, it will reduce the number of masks on a large scale, which may lead to loss of life." "

If plastic is no longer used in food packaging, and if plastic disappears, our food system will soon collapse. In the food industry, plastic packaging can not only prevent damage during transportation, extend food storage time, but also help marketing and dissemination. Eleni Iacovidou is a lecturer in environmental management at Brunel University, UK. "I can't imagine how plastics in the food system at the moment will be replaced," Jakovidu said. "

Not only will consumers need to change their habits, but supermarket supply chains will also have to be optimized, and possibly completely revamped.

In fact, for perishable fruits and vegetables, merchants can choose to sell them separately. According to a study by WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), a British public welfare organization that advocates waste reduction, plastic packaging can extend the shelf life of broccoli stored in the refrigerator by about one week, and can extend the shelf life of bananas at room temperature by about 1.8 days, but apples, cucumbers and potatoes have no effect. Moreover, studies have found that selling fruits and vegetables in bulk may also reduce food waste, as consumers have to buy fruits and vegetables on demand to avoid spoilage, which requires more frequent purchases.

Some people may be used to canned tomatoes and beans, but the cans have a plastic film inside that preserves the food. So once plastic disappears, we have to buy ingredients in paper bags and cook them ourselves at home. "People these days tend to want what they want in the easiest way possible. "said Jakovitu. And no plastic would make life less convenient.

However, in a sense, replacing food-grade plastic packaging may be the easiest step to take. For example, you can choose to buy milk in glass bottles, but the dairy industry still needs plastic pipes to squeeze milk from cows and deliver it to bottles. Also, even if you buy vegetables in bulk, farmers use plastic sheeting to save water and control weeds. So without plastic, industrial agriculture as we know it might not exist.

To do this, we can shorten the food supply chain, for example by adopting the farm shop or community supported agriculture (CSA) model. However, this would require significant changes in where and how it is grown, as more than half of the world's population lives in cities. Although Jakovitou believes it is not impossible,"we have to invest time in trying. "

It is worth mentioning that completely replacing plastic packaging may have unexpected environmental impacts. Although glass has certain advantages over plastic, such as being infinitely recyclable, plastic bottles weigh only 40 grams compared to glass bottles weighing 800 grams at the same capacity of 1 liter. Therefore, heavier glass containers lead to more carbon emissions when transporting liquids such as milk, juice and carbonated drinks over long distances. If the vehicle itself is also plastic-free, it will continue to gain weight, further increasing carbon emissions.

Of course, there are benefits to a plastic-free world as well: avoiding the dangers of plastic to human health.

Toxic gases are released in the process of converting oil into plastics, which can pollute the air and affect the health of local residents. In addition, chemicals added to plastic production may disrupt the endocrine system, including two widely studied endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs): phthalates, which are used to soften plastics and are commonly found in cosmetics, and bisphenol A (BPA), which is used to strengthen plastics and is commonly found in the coating on the inside of cans.

"Phthalates and BPA are very important to the structure of plastics, but they are not chemically bonded to plastics. Shanna Swan, professor of environmental medicine and public health at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. This means that when these chemicals are used in food packaging, they gradually penetrate the food and eventually enter the human body.

In addition, some phthalates can lower testosterone levels, reduce sperm count, and exacerbate male reproductive problems. BPA mimics estrogen, and studies have linked BPA to an increased risk of reproductive disorders in women. EDC, however, does more than just destroy fertility. "Their potentially devastating effects are widespread and alarming," Swan writes in her book Countdown."They have potentially adverse effects on the health of almost all biological systems, not just the reproductive system, but also the immune system, nervous system, metabolic system, and cardiovascular system. "

Replacing plastic In a world without plastic, making new types of plastic from plants is also starting to become very tempting.

Bioplastics share many of the same characteristics as petrochemical plastics. For example, polylactic acid (PLA) made from corn starch can be used to make straws, which is almost identical to today's plastic straws, while paper straws become soft and wet before drinking. The raw materials of bioplastics are usually edible parts of plants such as sugar and corn, and can also be inedible plant materials such as bagasse. Some bioplastics are biodegradable or compostable, but most of them still require delicate treatment, often in industrial composting equipment, for example, to ensure that they do not remain in the natural environment. We can't just dump our garbage in the ocean and optimistically expect it to decompose naturally.

However, even if we did build the infrastructure for composting, bioplastics might not be as environmentally friendly, at least not immediately positive. "I think in the early stages, we're going to see both positive and negative effects of bioplastics. Stuart Walker, a researcher at the University of Exeter, said:

In addition, clearing land for crops affects ecosystems and biodiversity. Fertilizer and pesticide use increases carbon emissions and pollutes local rivers and lakes. One study found that replacing petrochemical plastics entirely with bioplastics could require 3000 to 1,650 billion cubic meters of water per year, or 3 to 18 percent of the global average water footprint, which is the invisible amount of water consumed in everyday life. Food crops could also be forced into plastic production, leading to a food crisis. When crops mature, they often need further refinement, but this requires a lot of energy, resulting in an increase in carbon emissions.

In addition, making plastic from plants does not necessarily solve the health problems caused by plastic. Although research is still scarce, it is likely that additives found in traditional plastics will also be used in bioplastics, Jacovedo said. "

Obviously, replacing traditional materials with new materials does not solve all the problems associated with plastics.

And without plastic, we might even need to change the way we call ourselves. "Consumer, essentially a one-time-use term. Walker said. Therefore, if all the packaging in the world could be reused instead of discarded, we might no longer be consumers.

Original link:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220526-what-would-happen-if-we-stopped-using-plastic

This article comes from Weixin Official Accounts: Global Science (ID: huanqiukexue), written by Kelly Oakes, translated by Bu Zhou, edited by Wang Yibo

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