Uses of plastics

Pollution caused by
plastics
Pollution management
of plastic
 Tamizh Kumaran Sathya Priya
Koushik Haritha
Kavi Arasu Arthi
Chethan Karthikeya
Homraj Krish
Anand Kumar
Nitheshwaran
Plastic is a material consisting of
any of a wide range of synthetic or
semi-synthetic organic
compounds that
are malleable and can
be molded into solid objects.
Plastics are typically organic
polymers of high molecular mass,
They are usually synthetic, most
commonly derived
from petrochemicals, but many
are made from renewable
materials such as polylactic acid
from corn or cellulosics from
cotton linters.
Due to their relatively low cost,
ease of manufacture, versatility,
and imperviousness to water,
plastics are used in an enormous
and expanding range of products,
from paper clips to spaceships.
Due to the lightness of plastic versus
glass or metal, plastic may reduce
energy consumption. For example,
packaging beverages in PET plastic
rather than glass or metal is
estimated to save 52% in
transportation energy. They have
already displaced many traditional
materials, such as wood, stone,
horn and bone ,
leather, paper, metal, glass,
Plastic Type of Properties Common Melting- (C)
Identificatio plastic Applications Temperature
n Code polymer s
Clarity, strength, Soft drink, water
Polyethylene toughness, and salad
terephthalate barrier to gas dressing bottles. Tm = 250
and moisture.
(PET, PETE)

Water pipes,
High-density Stiffness,
milk, juice and
polyethylene strength,
water bottles. Tm = 130
(HDPE) toughness.

Versatility, ease Water pipes,

Polyvinyl of blending, electrical cable
chloride(PVC) strength, insulation; rigid Tm = 240
toughness. piping.
Ease of Frozen food
Low-density processing, bags;
polyethylene flexibility, ease squeezable Tm = 120
(LDPE) of sealing, bottles,
Plastic Type of Properties Common Melting- (C)
Identificatio plastic Applications Temperature
n Code polymer s

Resistance to Disposable
Polypropylene heat, cups; soft
(PP)
chemicals, drink bottle Tm = 173
grease and oil, caps, plates.
versatile.
Versatility, Egg cartons;
Polystyrene clarity, easily packing
(PS) formed. peanuts. Tm = 240

Other (often Dependent on Beverage

polymers or bottles; baby
polycarbonate
combination milk bottles. Tm = 225
or ABS) of polymers.
Global Warming: The effect of
plastics on global warming is
mixed. Plastics are generally
made from petroleum. If the
plastic is incinerated, it increases
carbon emissions; if it is placed
in a landfill, it becomes a carbon
sink although biodegradable
Production of plastics from crude
oil requires 62 to 108 MJ of
energy per kilogram. This is much
higher, compared to many other
materials, e.g. production of iron
from iron ore requires 20-25 MJ of
energy, glass (from sand, etc.) -
18-35 MJ, steel (from iron) - 20-50
Plastic pollution involves the
accumulation of plastic products in
the environment that adversely
affects wildlife, wildlife habitat, or
humans. Plastics that act
as pollutants are categorized into
micro-, meso-, or macro debris,
based on size.
Plastic pollution can unfavorably
affect lands, waterways and
oceans. Living organisms,
particularly marine animals, can
also be affected through
entanglement, direct ingestion of
plastic waste, or through exposure
to chemicals within plastics that
The distribution of plastic debris is
highly variable as a result of
certain factors such as wind and
ocean currents, coastline
geography, urban areas, and
trade routes. Human population in
certain areas also plays a large
role in this. Plastics are more
likely to be found in enclosed
Chlorinated plastic can release
harmful chemicals into the
surrounding soil, which can then
seep into groundwater or other
surrounding water sources and
also the ecosystem. This can
cause serious harm to the species
that drink the water.
Landfill areas contain many
different types of plastics. In these
landfills, there are
many microorganisms which
speed up the biodegradation of
plastics. These bacteria break
down nylon through the activity of
the nylonase enzyme.
When biodegradable plastics are
broken down, methane is
released, which is a very
Plastics in oceans typically
degrade within a year, but not
entirely. In the process, toxic
chemicals such as bisphenol A
and polystyrene can leach into
waters from some plastics.
Polystyrene pieces and nurdles
are the most common types of
plastic pollution in oceans, and
combined with plastic bags and
food containers make up the
 Plastic pollution has the potential
to poison animals, which can then
adversely affect human food
supplies. Plastic pollution has
been the "single greatest threat"
to large marine mammals.
Some marine species, such as sea
turtles, have been found to contain
large proportions of plastics in their
stomach. When this occurs, the
animal typically starves, because the
plastic blocks the animal's digestive
tract. Which block the passage of air
and kill them. Marine mammals
sometimes become entangled in
Due to the use of chemical additives
during plastic production, plastics have
potentially harmful effects that could
prove to be carcinogenic or
promote endocrine disruption.
Humans can be exposed to these
chemicals through the nose, mouth, or
skin. Although the level of exposure
varies depending on age and
geography, most humans experience
Efforts to reduce the use of plastics
and to promote plastic recycling have
occurred. Some supermarkets charge
their customers for plastic bags, and
in some places more efficient
reusable or biodegradable materials
are being used in place of plastics.
Some communities and businesses
have put a ban on some commonly
4
r's
reuse
reduse
recover
recycle
Plastic recycling is the process of
recovering scrap or
waste plastic and reprocessing
the material into useful products.
Since plastic is non-
biodegradable, recycling it is a
part of global efforts to reduce
plastic in the waste stream. This
Plastic recycling includes taking
any type of plastic sorting it into
different polymers and then
chipping it and then melting it
down into pellets after this stage it
can then be used to make items of
any kind such as plastic chairs
and tables. Soft Plastics are also
Recycling one ton of plastic
can save 5,774 kWh of
energy, 98,000,000 buts of
energy, 1,000-2,000
gallons of gasoline, 685
gallons of oil, 30 cubic
yards of landfill space,
The trade name of fully
biodegradable plastic material
naturally produced by the micro-
organisms is Alcaligens. This
plastic is homo polymer i.e. Poly
Hydroxy Butyrate (PHB).
Bioplastics are biodegradable,
biocompatible and renewable.
Bioplastic is a form of plastic
derived from renewable biomass
sources such as vegetable oils,
corn starch and pea starch, by the
action of microorganisms. The
Eumycetes and Schizomycetes
microorganisms are responsible
for degradation.
It is used in many ways as follows :

Packaging: Trays and containers

for fruits, eggs, meat and bottles for
soft drinks.
Agriculture: Plant pots used for
flowering and vegetable plants.
Medicine: To produce artificial
heart valves, tooth reconstruction,
bone fracture plates and artificial
1. We students first we should stop using
plastics. Mainly chocolate wrappers that
we use in one class amounts to 43
wrappers and approximately in one
school it amounts to 2121 wrappers for
one day and in Coimbatore 40,000
wrappers . So we should stop using
plastics .
2. Delhi is the most polluted city in the world
& followed by Beijing. It is clear that