Pollution from Plastic Manufacturing Process

By Hayden Choe

In modern times, plastic manufacturing processes are widely utilized to transform plastic waste into various items. There are numerous types of plastic manufacturing processes, including polymerisation, extrusion, injection moulding, blow moulding, compression moulding, rotational moulding, thermoforming, and compounding and mixing. These diverse processes can be customized to create a wide range of plastic products with different properties and applications, although they contribute to pollution in our environment.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that in 2018, the United States generated a staggering 35.7 million tons of plastic waste, with a meagre 9.5% being recycled. Consequently, the majority of the waste finds its way into landfills or oceans, where it remains for hundreds of years.

Moreover, the process of manufacturing plastics has a significant environmental footprint. The production of plastic depends on non-renewable resources such as oil and natural gas, both of which require environmentally damaging extraction techniques. Furthermore, the production of plastic contributes to the emission of detrimental greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane.

To effectively combat pollution, it's crucial to take a comprehensive approach that includes implementing a range of environmentally friendly measures. These measures can include regularly maintaining your vehicle to reduce emissions, actively participating in tree-planting initiatives, transitioning to electric or hand-powered lawn equipment to minimize air and noise pollution, utilizing public transportation to reduce individual carbon footprints, actively engaging in recycling and reusing materials to minimize waste, and taking steps to minimize forest fires and smoking, both of which contribute to air pollution.

Citations

https://www.pca.state.mn.us/news-and-stories/what-you-can-do-about-air-pollution

https://www.deskera.com/blog/plastics-manufacturing/

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