Plastic can be an incredibly useful compound when used right. When plastic is not recycled like it can be, it only harms more than it helps. And it is a shame because plastic has created alternatives to products that were once originally made with aluminum, steel and glass.
Let us put it this way. You have 2 pounds of plastic, 3 pounds of aluminum, 8 pounds of steel and 40 pounds of glass. You need to fill 1,300 ounces worth of drinks. Which is going to get the job done at a better price? If you guessed “plastic,” then you are correct! But why? Each material can carry the 1,300 ounces needed, but plastic does is better by being do durable.
If you take a plastic bottle, you will notice that it is not very thick. In fact, plastic can be very strong with such thin walls. Aluminum, steel and glass can all cut, and glass can even shatter into a dangerous pile of shards. So, you can see why plastic would be chosen over the other three.
U.S. Plastic Production and Industry
Plastic has even impacted the economy by supplying a million workers in the United States for plastics industry. Altogether, the plastic industry sank $375 billion into the economy. It is not a surprise considering 2.5 million plastic bottles get used on an hourly basis in the United States. And who could forget the plastics industry taking third place in the United States’ manufacturing industry? It is set to grow another 5 percent, even considering 600 billion is made and used every year.
Plastic can be a powerful tool when used wisely.
Popular Use for Plastic
As mentioned before, plastic makes a great container for drinks, more so than aluminum, steel and glass. A popular design for glass has always been wide mouth commercial jars. You might see individuals stocking their pantries with fruit or really anything that can be sealed into a few glass wide mouth commercial jars and preserved; jelly comes to mind. Unfortunately, all the hard work making food like jelly, can result in a busted mess if dropped. It is in glass’ nature to shatter. You know what does not? Plastic. Rather than waste glass and take the chance of getting cut, switch out your glass wide mouth commercial jars for plastic ones. They are just as good without the problem of shattering.