When Leo Hendrik, a Belgian born American invented plastic in the year 1907, little did he know that humans would exceed its usage limit and bring forth chaos in nature. The world as we know it is a complete contrast of the 1900s and it requires a lot of efforts to bring it back to its former glory.
Plastic was initially not a much sought after material, because it couldn’t maintain its shape or stay stable at high temperatures. But, when Charles Goodyear unexpectedly discovered the process of vulcanization, it opened up an array of discoveries. This is where the workability of plastic was found. Post this, the material became pervasive in medical as well as technological fields. It was used in the manufacture of computers, prosthetics, automobiles etc. Though the rising consumption was an advantage, the bigger picture of disposing off anything made of plastic became a disadvantage.
Ascent to Universality
Plastic was a material that started finding a lot of uses. From the tiniest of items such as a spoon to a massive Boeing Dreamliner aircraft – all of it majorly consists of this easy to make substance. The material can be found in packaging with regard to food as this helps in keeping it fresh, thus reducing wastage. That aside, plastic also keeps food clean and safe from contamination. This has also made the lives of humans easier as it lasts longer and if it isn’t required it can just be disposed of. It is also a major component in the transport industry with most vehicles consisting upto 50 % of plastic like the steering wheels, windshield wipers and also the protective features like the airbags and seatbelts. Majority of the electronics such as the television, radios, microwaves, hair dryers etc are plastic products. The medical field uses plastic as a life saver. Hearing aid, prosthetics, syringes, X ray machines, medicine bags etc. are just a few of them. When an element like this, is easy to produce and use, it’s bound to be excessively used. Continue Reading...
