What If Plastic Was Never Invented?
What if we never invented this plastic? Once a revolutionary invention, it’s now filling up our oceans and killing thousands of whales, birds, and turtles.
How much plastic do we have around us? Would our life be less comfortable without it? How many animal species could we save by getting rid of plastic debris?
This is what if…
And here’s what would happen if plastic was never invented. Your plastic bag is chemically processed natural gas or oil. You could tear it or burn it or throw it away when you’re done with it, but it won’t decompose the way this loaf of bread will. Since the 1950s, we’ve created 6.3 billion tons of plastic, 9% of it. We’ve recycled another 12% incinerated.
That leaves us with 4.9billion tons of plastic waste. This plastic mountain would be more significant than Mount Everest if we could gather it all in one place. This waste ends up in the sea, killing marine animals who mistake this indigestible synthetic for food.
If we eliminated plastic from our lives, we’d save hundreds of marine species from entanglement and plastic ingestion. But what about us? What would our routine be like without plastic? How much do we depend on plastic anyway?
Even if you avoided using plastic containers to bring your lunch to work or bagged your groceries with reusable shopping bags, you’d still be far from going plastic-free.
Plastic is everywhere…
Aluminum cans are lined with plastic resin. Without it, your Cola would corrode within three days. Paper cups hide a thin layer of plastic, too. How do you think they keep the liquid inside? No. Plastic would also mean no teabags since they’re heat-sealed with polyethylene. Without plastic, grocery shopping would look very different. Our drinks would come in glass bottles. Our meats and cheese would be wrapped in paper. You’d pack all your groceries in paper bags or cardboard boxes.
One of the main benefits of plastic packaging is that it keeps food fresh longer. Without this primary method of food preservation, a lot of our food would need to be raised or grown locally, and much of it would only be available seasonally. Organic waste would fill up the landfills and become our main environmental concern. Our clothing would be limited to natural fibers.No polyester socks, nylon dresses, or acrylic sweaters. Say goodbye to your fleece jacket. Heat and water-resistant safety wear wouldn’t exist either.
Without the plastic needed for electrical insulation, there would be no inexpensive circuits to build your phone or computer. Even early electronics in the 1910s used one of the first plastics, artificial light, without any plastic. We’d be stuck in 1870, still using nondurable and hazardous lacquer and rubber to insulate our wires.
All the progress we’ve made with affordable electronics would never have happened. However, we wouldn’t be polluting the Earth with disposable coffee cups, water bottles, toothbrushes, and other plastic stuff. And 700 marine species wouldn’t be affected by plastic debris. If the thought of someone taking your plastic away doesn’t ruin your day, consider moving to Kenya or Bangladesh, where it’s illegal to use plastic bags. And you might think getting some of these slimy pets 6000waxworms can eat up a plastic bag in just 1 hour.
