Plastic is widely used through out the world. Studies revealed that is a big threat to the environment. Studies also revealed that plastic can be reused in different form and is recyclable also. So، we should focus reuse and recycling or we ban it's manufacturing and uses?
Second, why not to think about phasing out the objectionable form. For example phase out color plastic. In the second step phase out it's use as packing material. In the mean time encourage the culture of recycling by subsidizing recycling plant and machinery?
@ Shaden M H Mubarak:
Dear Shaden, thank you for your question.
A total ban on the use of plastics is a mistake.
As I wrote above, the modern world cannot exist without plastics - since many of them have a unique complex of properties, which makes them indispensable in such different areas as e.g., all the microelectronical devices... surgery, etc...
Such global bans are never able to take into account many important details.
{Recyclability, its ease, speed and safety for human health is a separate and in most cases - solvable question]
4 Recommendations
All replies (12)
5th May, 2019
Douglas Nuttall
If it is only 'recyclable', but not 'recycled', then the potential really doesn't do much good. I'd be fine with a ban on plastic that didn't have a specific recycled content. Force a industry shift to incorporate waste plastics in the production of new goods.
5th May, 2019
Joseph Tham
Duke University
The U.S. has not signed the Basel Convention.
1 Recommendation
5th May, 2019
Aryan Shahabian
TU Wien
Plastic is not a big threat to the environment; we are the big threat as we don't manage plastic wastes efficiently. The problem is with the management, not with the material.
3 Recommendations
5th May, 2019
Fawad Ahmad
University of Peshawar
justified Sir, plastic bags have created huge problems in Pakistan, especially in disturbing the sewage system and blocking the irrigation channels
6th Jun, 2019
Sina Ghassa
University of Tehran
The Ban cannot solve the problems, we have to manage the plastics. 1st we have to change our lifestyle and use plastics as less as possible. 2nd the waste plastics should be collected and recycle. The life-cycle of plastics is dependent on the countries and governments should set efficient laws for plastics recycling.
1 Recommendation
6th Jun, 2019
Nafees Mohammad
University of Peshawar
Thank you Sina Ghassa for your valuable comment.
6th Jun, 2019
Nafees Mohammad
University of Peshawar
I myself not agree with ban on plastic. Plastic is recyclable, but it is expensive and not manageable. If community help government in collection of used plastic, it will become easy to recycle it. Throwing plastic away is one bad habits and a big problem in plastic waste recycling.
6th Jun, 2019
Leonid V Vladimirov
Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics
Plastics are just as necessary materials as Metals, Inorganic Materials used in the construction of buildings and communications. Our present and future cannot be imagined without using plastics, for example, in surgery (gloves, disposable syringes, suture material ... even "solar sails" for navigating interplanetary flights - made on plastic substrates.
Thus, our task is: 1) to abandon the use of Polyethylene-type Plastics - the time of destruction of which is tens of years and instead of hard-decomposable 2) to develop plastics that would undergo complete destruction within an acceptable time. As a polymer chemist for more than 30 years, I can assure you that these are quite solvable tasks.
3 Recommendations
6th Jun, 2019
Leonid V Vladimirov
Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics
@ Shaden M H Mubarak:
Dear Shaden, thank you for your question.
A total ban on the use of plastics is a mistake.
As I wrote above, the modern world cannot exist without plastics - since many of them have a unique complex of properties, which makes them indispensable in such different areas as e.g., all the microelectronical devices... surgery, etc...
Such global bans are never able to take into account many important details.
{Recyclability, its ease, speed and safety for human health is a separate and in most cases - solvable question]
4 Recommendations
6th Jun, 2019
Albert Manfredi
The Boeing Company
I agree with Leonid's first paragraph in his first post, and with his second post. We cannot realistically ban plastic products, although perhaps we could easily ban some plastic products. For example, something trivial like shopping bags. Other plastic products, such as electrical insulation, water and sewer systems, containers for toxic products, and on and on, should not be banned, nor should their lifetime be artificially limited!
A better approach is to mandate recycling of plastic products, even if this costs money. After all, it is not written anywhere that recycling should be free. Recycling will become more and more critical as the human population grows (it's about 7.7 billion already!!), just so we don't choke on the garbage we generate. It is entirely acceptable that recycling cost money.
1 Recommendation
6th Jun, 2019
Nafees Mohammad
University of Peshawar
There exists small scale informal plastic recycling in Peshawar.
7th Jul, 2019
Nagalakshmi Radhakrishnan
SRM Institute of Science and Technology
re-cyclic plastics and biodegradable plastics can use to avoid environmental problems.
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