Adam Furgang - Earths Plastic Problem

Published in 2022 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010

Copyright 2022 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

First Edition

Editor: Theresa Emminizer

Book Design: Michael Flynn

Photo Credits: Cover chaiyapruek youprasert/.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Furgang, Adam, author.

Title: Earths plastic problem / Adam Furgang.

Description: New York: Rosen Publishing, [2022] | Series: Spotlight on global issues | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019052501 | ISBN 9781725323148 (paperback) | ISBN 9781725323179 (library binding) | ISBN 9781725323155 (6 pack)

Subjects: LCSH: Plastics--Environmental aspects--Juvenile literature. | Plastic scrap--Environmental aspects--Juvenile literature. | Plastics--History--Juvenile literature.

Classification: LCC TD798 .F87 2022 | DDC 363.738--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019052501

Manufactured in the United States of America

Some of the images in this book illustrate individuals who are models. The depictions do not imply actual situations or events.

CPSIA Compliance Information: Batch #CSR22. For further information contact Rosen Publishing, New York, New York at 1-800-237-9932.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

THE PROBLEM
WITH PLASTIC

If you look around at cars, toys, and many other things, you may notice a very common material used in all of them. That substance is called plastic, and its very useful. Unfortunately, careless and wasteful practices with plastic have caused many problems, not only for people but also for countless species of plants and animals and the entire planet.

Plastic doesnt naturally occur on Earth. Its manufactured from fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal. Plastic hasnt been around for a very long time. People first created it during the late 19th century, a little more than 100 years ago. In that short span of time, weve managed to create 9.2 billion tons (8.3 mt) of plastic. Of that, over 6.9 billion tons (6.3 mt) has become waste on land and in the oceans. Scientists have even found small particles of plastics, called microplastics, in very remote places. In a recent study, a 2.1-pint (1 L) sample of sea ice from the Arctic Ocean was found to contain 14,000 particles of plastic.

There have been many efforts to recycle discarded plastics so they can be made into something new. Unfortunately, recycled plastics arent very common. According to research from the University of Georgia, over 90 percent of plastics have never been recycled.

Its obvious the plastic problem is a big one, but its not being ignored. Efforts by governments all around the word, as well as those by people just like you, are working to break our wasteful habits with plastics.

Plastic pollution is a worldwide problem. Over 300 million tons (272.2 million mt) of new plastic is produced every year. About 8 million tons (7.3 million mt) of plastic winds up entering the worlds oceans.

Before plastics were invented, other raw materials such as wood, metal, cotton, glass, and animal bones were used to manufacture things. In the 1800s, people used elephant tusks to make many items, including combs, piano keys, and balls for billiards, a game similar to pool. The use of elephant ivory caused a sharp decline in the elephant population. In 1867 the New York Times warned that elephants were in danger of being numbered with extinct species.

People started looking for substitutes for ivory and other materials, such as turtle shells. In 1869, a chemist named John Wesley Hyatt invented a new material from cotton cellulose, a plant polymer. A polymer is a large molecule thats made of many smaller, repeating molecules. Hyatt and his brother marketed the new material and called it celluloid. Although it was too hard to be used for billiard balls, it was good for making many other things, including combs, buttons, toys, and dice.

Bakelite products such as these art deco radios and clocks are now considered collectible.

Leo Baekeland created the first synthetic plastic in 1907. Synthetic means its made entirely from compounds not found in nature. Using various byproducts from coal use, Baekeland created a plastic that could be molded into different shapes. The plastic was called Bakelite. It was used to make radios, phones, car parts, and even jewelry, which is now very collectible.

Soon, people created many other plastic formulas, all with names as unique as their properties. They included polystyrene, Styrofoam, and nylon. In time, manufacturers used nylon to make womens stockings, parachutes, rope, and toothbrush bristles.

CHAPTER TWO

THE BENEFITS
OF PLASTIC

During World War II (1939 to 1945), plastic production in the United States increased by 300 percent. Many traditional materials were expensive or hard to come by during this time, and plastics helped fill in the gap. From parachute cords and ropes made of nylon to aircraft windows made out of plexiglass, plastic was becoming more common and more useful.

After World War II, the plastic industry began manufacturing products for buyers as inexpensive alternatives to traditional household items. Tupperware, the now-common food storage container, was introduced in 1948. In the 1950s, a hard plastic called Formica was used to make colorful kitchen countertops and tables.

A Swiss engineer named George de Mestral invented the hookand- loop fastener Velcro in 1941. Mestral was inspired by natural cockleburs he found stuck to his pants in the woods. Today Velcro is used for many things. It has replaced safety pins on diapers and shoelaces on kids sneakers.

Plastics have also made vehicles safer. Because plastic is lightweight and still very strong, plastic parts have replaced many heavier metal parts in cars and airplanes. Safety airbags in cars are made from nylon.

Plastics are also used in the healthcare industry. Many items, such as surgical gowns, face masks, gloves, and IV bags, are all made from plastics.

A durable plastic called Kevlar is used in bulletproof vests to protect police. Theres no doubt that the benefits and uses of plastics today are numerous.

In this picture, taken in 1946, women wait in line to buy nylon stockings. During World War II, nylon was used to make war materials, creating stocking shortages throughout the United States.