Producing 20000 Plastic Bottles Per Second, Leaving A Legacy In The Environment For 450 Years!

At the same time as you read this sentence, approximately 117000 plastic bottles were used in the world. Although this may just be a trivial statistic. However, behind this number lies a harsh fact: every stage of the entire lifecycle of plastic production causes significant environmental, climate, and social issues.

Production: Over 99% of plastics come from fossil fuels

Crude oil and natural gas are extracted through methods such as mining, drilling, or hydraulic fracturing. About 4% to 8% of global oil production is used to manufacture plastics, and it is expected that this number will rise to 20% by 2050. These growth trends contradict the Paris Agreement's goal of keeping global warming at 1.5 ° C. In this situation, environmental justice is particularly important because fossil fuel factories are often located in low-income communities, which unfairly burdens residents who often lack the means to protect their own well-being.

Production: Production of plastic bottles

Raw materials undergo a series of complex and high-energy chemical reactions and processing processes to ultimately form plastic resins. These small plastic particles will eventually be made into bottles.

The resin used for most plastic bottles worldwide is polyethylene terephthalate, commonly known as "PET". Bottles made from this material are easy to recycle, but the challenge lies in how to maintain their quality throughout the entire recycling process, which may lead to degradation and ultimately result in waste. Bottle caps are usually made of polyolefin and also have excellent recycling performance. However, due to the addition of colorants and other additives, their recyclability is usually low. However, if PET bottles are not recycled, their decomposition period in the environment could reach an astonishing 450 years.

When the characteristics of raw materials are refined into usable products, both human health and the earth will face increasingly deteriorating environments, highlighting the inherent double-edged nature of producing small plastic particles. For example, this stage of processing is typically carried out in facilities owned by subsidiaries of international oil and gas companies, requiring a significant amount of energy consumption.

At the same time, this process also generates high levels of pollution: about 90% of greenhouse gas emissions related to plastics come from the extraction and processing of raw materials, which not only emits harmful gases but may also lead to health risks such as reproductive and developmental disorders or cancer.

Transportation: Carbon emissions generated during the freight process

The small plastic particles are sent to the company that processes the product manufacturing. This transportation method is not environmentally friendly and usually relies on cargo ships. In addition, it often requires long-distance transportation, resulting in high carbon emissions and increasing pressure on the environment. This process will also involve microplastics and nanoplastics.

Microplastics that escape during transportation

Microplastics are tiny particles ranging from 5 millimeters to 1 micrometer in size; Nanoplastics are particles smaller than 1 micrometer. They are produced during the decomposition of large plastics or the release of small plastics. This situation may also occur in the early stages, but mainly during transportation, as spillage, improper handling, or leakage are highly likely to occur during transportation.

Where did these particles ultimately go?

They are everywhere. They enter the air, water, soil, and other places. The ocean is the first to bear the brunt. Once these tiny particles enter the environment, they will not naturally decompose and cannot be removed. Scientists have found plastic particles in the stomachs of fish, in the placenta of pregnant women, and even near the tops of Mount Everest and Antarctica. Some people estimate that an average person may consume 5 grams of microplastics per week, which is approximately equivalent to the weight of a credit card.

Produce products with a lifespan of up to 450 years in just a few seconds

Companies worldwide produce 20000 PET bottles per second. This means that approximately three million bottles have been produced and consumed since the beginning of reading this article. If left unaddressed, they will continue to exist for approximately 450 years.
An important aspect of the manufacturing process is also the ongoing subsidies for fossil fuels in many countries. This leads to a reduction in production costs for various plastic products, including PET bottles, in order to meet the needs of self-sustaining cycles and promote future dependence on fossil fuels.

Allocation, consumption, and disposal

After use, PET bottles may be discarded, publicly incinerated, or managed through waste disposal.

Discarded plastic can contaminate landscapes, waterways, and ecosystems, affecting aquatic and terrestrial animals who often mistake it for food and introduce plastic into the food chain. When burned, it releases harmful pollutants including methane, which has a greater impact on climate change than carbon dioxide in a shorter period of time. Even if processed in the most sustainable way, it is estimated that only about 9% of plastic waste can be recycled. Specifically, only 13% of the most common recycled disposable plastic bottles are made from recycled PET materials.

Whether it's reducing the use of disposable plastics, supporting reuse and refilling systems, or using products made from more eco-friendly alternatives, we can all lower the true cost of plastic production. A recent report emphasizes that by 2040, the world can reduce plastic pollution by 80%. Here are some methods to achieve this goal:

Reforming fossil fuel subsidies and shifting towards cleaner and more sustainable energy sources;
Addressing the issue of greenhouse gas emissions generated during the transportation of plastics by ships or other means;
Promote circular economy practices, reduce plastic pollution, and encourage the adoption of zero waste reduction, reuse, redesign, and recycling methods;
Invest in innovation, design plastic waste and expand the scale of environmentally friendly materials and models;
Empower informal waste disposal workers to improve their livelihoods, promote social inclusion, and enhance the efficiency of plastic waste management systems.