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Tuesday, June 18, 2013
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MNN.COM › ECO-GLOSSARY

Plastics News

Plastics

Plastic is a synthetic, moldable material made of a chemical compound or 'polymer' that consists primarily of carbon atoms derived primarily from petroleum (petrochemicals).  Common uses for plastics include textiles, food packaging, bottles, shower curtains, plumbing pipes, furniture, flooring, eyeglasses, and coatings.

 

Most plastics contain other organic or inorganic compound additives.  Many of the controversies associated with plastics surround additives (such as BPA); biodegradability; post-consumer waste; and the use of oil in manufacturing, production and transportation. 

 

Traditional plastics degrade very slowly, however bioplastics are derived from renewable biomass sources such as vegetable oils, starches or cellulose and are considered more sustainable in comparison.

(Source: Wikipedia / Photo: Shutterstock)

Articles about Plastics

  • Who is really responsible for plastic waste?

    Fri, Aug 03 2012 at 4:43 PM

    Artist Asher Jay's "Garbagea" confronts us with our throwaway culture in this creative project.

  • Method's sea trash-based soap bottle to debut this fall

    Tue, Jul 31 2012 at 3:10 PM

    At long last, Method is set to release the world's first soap container — or any sort of container, for that matter — made partially from plastic trash recovered from the beaches of Hawaii.

  • 16-year-old discovers catalyst to turn Egypt's plastic waste into biofuel

    Mon, Jul 23 2012 at 8:00 AM

    Egyptian teen calculates that her method could generate $78 million in biofuels for country annually.

  • BPA causes interspecies mating, study finds

    Wed, Jul 11 2012 at 6:19 AM

    The hormone-disrupting chemical makes it hard for some fish to recognize their own species, a problem that could ripple throughout ecosystems.

  • Dirt on your food is not such a bad thing, and other things to discuss with friends

    Thu, Jun 21 2012 at 3:38 PM

    Venture beyond the heat and politics when talking to your friends this weekend. Start a conversation about the quality of road trip food or the resurgence of glass bottles.

  • Centuries-old trash carpets Sydney Harbor

    Thu, Jun 21 2012 at 3:36 PM

    Sydney is haunted by sunken garbage, some of it up to 200 years old. But divers are now working to clean up the mess one piece of trash at a time.

  • 5 companies team up on PET plastic project

    Thu, Jun 21 2012 at 1:29 PM

    The Plant PET Technology Collaborative (PTC) will advance the development of PET plastics.

  • Plastic bag ban is great news, says Philippe Cousteau Jr.

    Fri, May 25 2012 at 9:51 AM

    Video: Los Angeles has become the largest U.S. city to ban the use of plastic bags at supermarkets. The city will phase out the use of plastic bags over the next 16 months.

  • L.A. becomes largest city in the nation to ban plastic bags

    Thu, May 24 2012 at 10:37 AM

    'Plastic or paper?’ will no longer be asked in the City of Angels, thanks to a historic City Council vote.

  • Banish plastic from your kitchen

    Thu, May 24 2012 at 10:19 AM

    We know that some plastics leach harmful chemicals, but the jury is still out on which ones are really safe. Here's what to use instead.

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