Top 10 Advantages and Disadvantages of Plastic

Plastic is something that you will find everywhere around you. From the carry bags to the furniture and even the electronic goods have a casing made of plastic. Talking about the structure of plastic, it is nothing but a polymer chain. You can find different types of plastic around you and today, life without plastic is technically impossible. There are several advantages of this magical material but at the same time, there are several disadvantages associated with the plastic as well.

In this article, we have listed the top 10 advantages and disadvantages of plastic for you so that you can understand what are the benefits of using plastic and where is it really harming us. We will first talk about the advantages of this polymer and then we will get down to the cons of using plastic.

So, let us now start by looking at the advantages of the plastic.

Advantages of Plastic

1. Easy to Use and Manufacture

Plastic is very easy to use and it is also very easy to manufacture. It can be easily moulded into any shape and this is one of the greatest advantages of the plastic. You can use it as and when you like it. There are many manufacturing processing revolving around the use of plastic. This is also one of the reasons why plastic is used so much in industrial application and in daily application.

2. Cheap

Plastic is also very cheap when compared to other alternatives. For example, glass bottles are much more expensive than the plastic ones and similarly, the shopping bags made of plastic are cheaper than the ones made of paper or fabric. This is another reason why plastic is so widely used. Since it is cheap, the manufacturing cost of the goods comes down drastically. Over the years, the cost of manufacturing plastic has reduced as well. Today, it is available in the form of small plastic balls which can be moulded using different machines.

3. Strong, durable and waterproof

Plastic is very strong and durable. In addition to this, it is also waterproof. The best part about the plastic is that it can store water as well. So, you will notice that the packaging material for liquid is usually plastic. From storing milk to water and cleaners, everything is done with plastic. You can even store the cleaning acid in plastic bottles. The fact that plastic is a cheap packaging material is what makes it so easy to use.

4. Water Resistant and odourless

As mentioned earlier, plastic is waterproof but the plastic is also odourless. So, if you are storing water in a plastic bottle or a plastic jar, then you would not have any foul odour in the water. This is also true for the general application. Being odourless helps you in ensuring that the plastic can be used as a packaging material as well as it can be used in different domains.

5. Recycle and Reuse

It is possible to recycle and reuse plastic. This not only saves the manufacturing cost but it also cuts down on the usage of the other use and throws Almost every country is stressing on the reuse and recycle of the plastic bottles, cans, bags and any other part made of plastic.

In the section above, we have listed all the advantage of the plastic and that is one of the reasons why it is so widely used. It has found its application in almost every industry.

Disadvantages of Plastic

1. Non-Biodegradable

One of the biggest and the worst disadvantage of plastic is that it is non-biodegradable. The problem with this fact is that plastic takes 1000s of years to breakdown and it is accumulating in our oceans and harming the marine life. Plastic Straws get stuck in the gut of animals and they ultimately lead to death. Some of the government have even placed restrictions on the use of plastic straws and they advise on the use of paper straws which is certainly the right thing to do.

2. Carcinoma Agent

Plastic is also considered to be a carcinoma agent and it can cause cancer with prolonged It is always suggested to use high-grade plastic and in our opinion, you can switch to lunch box made of glass and the water bottles made of stainless steel. This not only cuts down the usage of plastic but it also ensures that you are safe.

3. Burning Produces Toxic Gases

Some people end up burning the plastic and the fact is that burning plastic is like burning rubber. It produces a massive amount of toxic gases which harms the environment in several ways. It not only harms the environment but it also harms the health of the people inhaling these gases.

4. Low Heat Resistance

Plastic has low heat resistance so it is easy to damage anything that is made of plastic. In addition to this, plastic can also catch fire very easily. This is a fire hazard and hence a lot of people frown upon the use of plastic in the home.

5. Blocks and Accumulates

Plastic bags can accumulate and block the drains. This becomes a huge problem as plastic is not dissolved in acid or any other generally available solvent. The only way to clear this kind of blockage is to do it manually.

So, we have also talked about the disadvantages of plastic. Well, in our opinion, the disadvantages of plastic are greater than the advantages of plastic. Governments in many countries have taken basic steps like banning the plastic carry bags and this is going to impact the environment in some way. Apart from exploring an alternative to plastic, you must also try and recycle and reuse the plastic as much as possible. This is not going to benefit you in the short term but it will also benefit your future generations.

Also, remember that you didn’t inherit the earth from your forefathers but you have it on lease from your future generation.