Plastics

• Plastics

  • easily moulded into different shapes
  • light, strong, waterproof
  • resistant to decay, rusting and chemicals
  • cheaper than other materials
  • can be used to replace natural polymers such as silk and rubber
  • can cause environmental problems when disposed of
• Land Pollution


  • Plastics are generally disposed of by burying plastic waste in landfills
  • Plastics are non-biodegradable, they cannot be broken down into simpler substances by microorganisms such as bacteria in the soil
  • plastic waste in landfills build up, leading to land pollution
• Air pollution


  • Burning plastics releases poisonous and acidic gases such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen chloride and hydrogen cyanide
  • the carbon dioxide produced from the burning of plastics can lead to increased greenhouse effect and global warming
• Water pollution


  • plastic products disposed in the sea and ocean can cause danger to marine animals when they get caught in plastic waste or consume the waste
  • when plastics are broken down in water, they release toxins which pollute the water