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Letter of Transmittal

Date: December 2, 2013

To: Dr. Kerrie Kephart

From: The Plastic Avengers

Dear Dr. Kephart:

Enclosed is our report The Impacts of Plastics: How plastic affects our daily lives that outlines an overview of plastic material, and discusses the ethical issues that arise from the use of plastic. This is being sent as required for HCDE 231, Section D, Assignment 4. This report was authored by Jin Choe, Mason Newton, Jesse Evans, and Kelvin Lam.

This report introduces a general overview of plastic production and usage. Following this introduction, the report will describe the side effects of plastic, consisting of effects on the environmental and health, and social issues. Furthermore, we will provide a solution for each issue and discuss how the ethical issues are being addressed.

As plastic is widely used now, it is inevitable to face some ethical issues. We encourage our reader to consider each of the issues throughout the report. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us at:

[email protected] – Jin Choe

[email protected] – Kelvin Lam

[email protected] – Jesse Evans

[email protected] – Mason Newton

Sincerely,

Table of Contents

Executive Summary …………………………………………………………………………………….4

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………….5

Background……………..………………………………………………………………………………….6

Discussion………………………………………………………………………………………………..…8

Conclusion………………………………….………………………………………………………..…...12

References…………………………………………….………………………………..………………...13

List of Figures

[1a]

Executive Summary

This report was written as an assignment in the course HCDE 231 taught by you, Dr. Kerrie Kephart, a professor at the University of Washington. We were assigned to choose and write about a contemporary engineering topic that involves ethical dilemmas. In this report, we explain the production, usage, and disposal of plastic and discuss the ethical issues surrounding it. We conclude that in order to continue using plastic materials, we must address these issues and work to minimize the negative effects that plastics have on the environment, public health, and the state of our society.

To obtain the information and produce the report, we did the following: (1) search for appropriate, reliable sources to cite, (2) divide the work equally to complete a draft, (3) edit and revise the draft, (4) complete any remaining sections, such as the table of contents, and (5) submit a final product.

The evidence that we present shows that it is possible to still utilize plastic, which is a very useful, versatile resource, while curbing its negative effects. We believe that the general public should refrain from unnecessary uses of plastic materials and recycle that which they do use. It is also necessary to educate the public on potential hazards and the need to recycle. More effort should be put into the research and development of new, more efficient methods for both the recycling and production of plastic. Solutions like these are vital to the long-term welfare of America and the rest of the world.

Thank you for taking the time to read our report. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us through e-mail addresses previously referred to.

Introduction – Plastic Use and its Impact on Society

Plastic is becoming one of the most used building materials around the globe, at an increasing rate. Not like wood or steel, plastic is a material that can be used for far more than just 20oz bottles or wireless mice, but it is used for car fenders, garbage cans, and tool sheds. At this point in time, the industrialized countries of the world are producing plastics of all types and colors in order to meet the many various demands of us, the people of the world. At an alarming rate, the world’s demand of plastic is growing exponentially, and this becomes a strain on the environment and the life that lives on our world.

The strain of the world is clearly a major problem that we need to fix. The plastic production process of the world creates many damaging byproducts, which even though filtered, get released into the atmosphere. Sadly, however, these are not the only harmful and deadly consequences of a deteriorating health. The other aspect of plastic is the disposal of used plastic products. Currently, there are programs in place that recycle a small portion of the total amount of dumped plastic, but the large mass that is not recycled or reused is made to stay in place where it will not be degraded by, or be harmless to, the environment for thousands of years.

The unrecyclable plastic produced all over the world is one of the largest problems that we have created and is an ever growing problem that we need to repair. During this report, we will be presenting a few of the largest problems that we feel are the greatest threat to all live, and giving our recommendations of what should be done in order to fix an ethical engineering issue. As engineers, we all need to see the harm that we are doing to all life. As with many of life’s issues, there are many possible routes to take when repairing wounds, however our preservations of the environment are what we feel are the best possible fixes that we, as humans, need to implement if we want to continue living on our planet.

Background – What is plastic, and where does it go?

Plastic is a material that is utilized in many different ways, all of which range from storing food products and being a major component to motor vehicles, to being used in everyday electronics like televisions or cameras. The users of all of the produced plastics are the stakeholders that are directly affected by plastic: the producers, the consumers, and the people that have to deal with the harmful side effects of the disposal of plastic materials. As a point of reference as to growth and rapidly growing use of plastics of all types, according to the PlasticsEurope Corporation in 2012, the world’s production of plastic was up to 288 million tons, this figure is far more shocking when compared to 1989 when the world’s production was 99 million tons [1] (see figure 1a). Even though these two points do not represent the entire graph, the graph does show an exponential growth since the 1950s. Plastics have a very wide use, have been in use for many decades, and will be continued to be in use for many generations to come.

Even though the plastic creation process may seem purely modern, the creation of a simple type of plastic has been around for 150 years. Back in 1862, Alexander Parkes first demonstrated what he called Parkesine, as Mary Bellis explains, “was an organic material derived from cellulose that once heated could be molded, and retained its shape when cooled” [2]. In the early days of plastic production, plastics were derived from sugars and alcohol, since this time period was in the early stages of the industrialization of America. There were many precursors to Parkes’ man-made plastic, such as natural rubber or vulcanite; however, the development of later materials is what truly began the mass use and production of plastic.

Plastic is a widely used material with a beginning that is not well known to many, even though it affects the world population in many ways. Plastic has many various uses, but generally, it is made from the same process, no matter what the end purpose of the plastic is going to be used for. Plastics are made up of crude oil, but in a derivative manner. Oil is broken down into the simple hydrocarbons that are used to make monomers. Once many monomers are created from the broken down oil, the monomers are then combined to create polymers, which then the polymers are allowed to harden and form polymer resins that are in the form of pellets or small beads. Beyond this point, the polymer resins are stored or transferred to the various companies that create the final forms of the pellets.

From the somewhat simple way they are made, plastics come in many sizes, shapes, and forms all with their own purpose. As stated earlier, plastics are made into small pellets or beads then are transported to the various plastics formation factories that take in the pellets, heat up the pellets, and then use the melted down material to form the end product to be used in other applications. Though this may seem simple enough, there are primarily four different processes in which result in different uses and formations of plastic. Extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, and rotational molding all are processes of plastic formations that include heating and cooling, but each have their own way in which the pellets are cooled that causes the plastic to have its final form and use.

Continuing with in more detail about the four main plastic formation processes, extrusion is when the melted pellets are mixed in a long chamber and forced through a small opening at one end. During this process the material is cooled with water and is used to create a general type of film, one which can be applied to many different applications such as smartphone screens or coloring for lighting for a performance stage. Injection molding is similar to extrusion except the malleable substance is forced, under high pressure, into a cooled mold. This process allows the plastic to form containers for food, like Tupperware and butter tubs. The blow molding method is used with extrusion or injection molding, the only difference between this process and the previous methods is that compressed air is blown into the mold, in which the resin is already in, and the air causes the resin to expand on the walls of the mold. Blow molding allows for plastic bottles to be formed, since the process spreads the material in the mold also causing it to become a weaker and to be far more produced because the process uses less material to create the final product.

The final process, rotational molding is the most used technique because it allows for more of a varied creation of different end products. During rotational molding, the pellets are heated and cooled in a large mold that is rotated in three dimensions. This method is the most used technique because large, hollow objects are the end result of this process. Garbage cans, septic tanks, and furniture are very important to the average American’s daily life; however, these three items are not the only products of this method. The different methods, in which plastics are formed, allow for a variation of plastic items to be created. However rotational molding is used to make the many different large plastic items that we, as Americans, use on a daily basis. Rotational molding allows for a larger variation of the plastic products compared to the other methods, but all methods are equally important in the mass production and mass waste of plastic.

Discussion – Issues with Plastic

Although plastic has become useful and essential for our world, it may lead to ethical issues in several areas such as environment, health, and society. These issues often remain as controversies because the practical benefit from plastic is often believed to outweigh its side effects. Since plastic has become a major material for most products, it is inevitable that we face these issues.

Environmental issue

One noticeable issue is the environmental issue that comes from the pollution of plastic waste. Because a major portion of plastic is used for disposable items, a huge amount of plastic gets dumped every day. The problem here is that plastic never goes away from the planet after being dumped. Instead, it increases the pollution on land and in the ocean. The main stakeholders in this issue include plastic manufacturers, consumers, the government, and environmentalists. Environmentalists and government are concerned with increased pollution from plastic while manufacturers and consumers believe that technologies can reduce the pollution.

According to plastic pollution research, “approximately 10% of all solid waste” is plastic and “0.2 to 0.3% of plastic production” goes into ocean [3]. Considering that solid wastes include paper and food that we consume daily, plastic takes huge part of global wastes along with those. Unlike most other wastes, plastic does not biodegrade, or “break down into the environment,” easily [4]. So the plastic waste piles up rapidly without getting decomposed. Even after the decomposition which may take up for long time, G. Knight explains in The World of Plastic Pollution,“ it leaches poisonous chemicals, called toxins, into the seas” [4]. Therefore, the plastic waste on landfill also pollutes the ocean from decomposition process. Once the plastic waste goes into the ocean, it’s not just sitting on one location. Although most plastic wastes float on the surface of ocean, plastic debris can settle to the sea floor. So the plastic wastes can be present at all depths of the ocean. Also, the ocean currents can carry those wastes to multiple locations. These oceanic currents are called gyres, slow rotating whirlpools in which plastic trash can accumulate, and they can carry plastic waste from one continent to another continent in few years [5]. Therefore, the long-lasting plastic waste can be accumulated in any location and become serious problem in our environment.

On the other hand, people may argue that there are many ways to prevent the plastic waste and the pollution of plastic is potentially not a problem in future. One of the ways to prevent the plastic waste is recycling. Because the plastic is durable, it can still be usable after the process of recycle. With many years of technological development, it allows plastic to transform into multiple forms after being recycled [6]. With the current technology, only a small portion of plastic gets recycled. However, the research states that the plastic recycle has been increasing at 7% per year, meaning that the plastic recycle technology is still developing [3]. Besides recycling, making a new form of plastic is known to be another solution to prevent the waste. As previously described that plastic does not biodegrade easily, engineers have been working on making a new type of plastic that could be broken down much easier, called biodegradable plastic. It is often made from plants such as corn [7]. With the biodegradable plastic, we can overcome environmental issue from decomposition process. Unlike traditional plastic, biodegradable plastic is easy to break down and the waste will never get piled up. Similar to recycling technology, this is an emerging technology. Therefore, they both have a potential to maximize their efficiency and make people believe that plastic waste is not a problem in long run.

Plastic and health

The health issues of plastic have been of great controversy. Plastics surround us in our daily lives, from food containers such as TV dinner wrappers to the toys that our children constantly attempt to eat, plastic is inseparable from our daily lives. This lead to a great concern as to whether or not plastics are toxic or harmful to our body, if so, what can we do about it? The most controversial chemicals that are considered dangerous are perhaps Bishpenol A (BPA) and Phthalates. These two chemicals can be found in many products that contain plastic. It has been suggested that not only do they accumulate in human bodies but also have negative effects on them as well based on the results of animal studies and other research. This section discusses the overview of the two chemicals and both side arguments regarding their safety.

BPA can be found in food containers in the form of metal coatings [8]. According to a study by University of Missouri, BPA can accumulate in our body more rapidly than we expected, Science daily suggested “The study notes that more than 8 billion pounds of BPA are produced every year, and more than 90 percent of people in the United States have measurable amounts of BPA in their bodies”- [9]. The author pointed out that previous mouse model studies used one-time exposure on mice to represent the effect BPA has on human body. However, upon a continuous exposure experiment; the team found that the BPA accumulated in the animal which is a better representation of its effects on human. BPA has been suggested to cause breast cancer, obesity, diabetes and low sperm count, and possibly acts as a hormone disruptor [10]. It is difficult to discard the use of BPA entirely, however, experts have suggested us to eat more fresh and naturally and store food in non-plastic container in order to limit the BPA intake in our bodies [10].

Phthalates is a plastic additive that is used as softener [11]. They can be found in food containers, cosmetic products and wood finishes [11]. Phthalates has been suggested to be linked to various health issues such as cancer, miscarriage, asthma and negative effect on male sexual development [11]. Dr. Howard Snyder, a pediatric urologist, reported that the increase in deformed male sex organ he has observed in his study seems to be related to chemical exposure which he suspects to be Phthalates. According to Maia James in How to avoid Phthalates, The best way to avoid Phthalates intake is to avoid plastic usage and eating organic meat and dairy since persticles are not permitted in certified organic produce [12]. Several types of Phthalates have even been banned from plastic toys manufacturers in 2009 with an effort to protect children from the potential hazards of Phthalates.

However, some do not believe in the claimed hazards of BPA or Phthalates. According to Forbes, “The European Food Safety Authority in summer 2010, a joint UN Food and Agriculture Organization/WHO expert panel on BPA in November 2010, and a special Advisory Committee of the German Society of Toxicology in spring 2011 independently concluded that the collective body of evidence demonstrates that BPA does not pose serious neurological dangers or cause cancer in humans” [13]. In addition, according to Cal Dooley, the president of the American Chemistry council, the safety of Phthalates has been verified by many regulatory Agencies [14]. Due to the lack of evidence that these chemicals are actually toxic to our body in these tests, it is believed by many that the “plastic-panic” is just an overreaction to “seemingly related” results of some researches that attempt to link health issues to chemicals in plastic.

Although many studies regarding the safety of BPA and Phthalates have been inconclusive, many others have shown the possible correlation of these chemicals to serious health issue. Therefore, it is favorable to ourselves that we avoid over-dependence of plastic in order to avoid any risk that may compromise our health.

Social aspects

While the previous ethical issues pertained to environmental and overall health concerns, there is another issue that is less observational than the others. Societal impacts, both present and future, of overuse and overdependence of plastics is a topic that is often overlooked, but is something that should be discussed more in depth. The main stakeholders in this issue include primarily manufacturers of plastic and, on the other side, environmentalists. The manufacturers want to maximize profits in the short-term and are not particularly worried about any possible negative effects caused by the overproduction of plastic. Environmentalists are more concerned with those long-term negative effects and how future generations will be impacted. The fact that society, as a whole, changes very slowly over time is perhaps the reason why many people do not recognize those changes and how the current state of modern society will affect our society in the future.

As mentioned in the previous section, plastics are made primarily from oil. A lot of focus has been put on the current rate of oil usage and how that will affect future generations. Despite this topic being among most discussed environmental issues, little focus has been put on the potential shortage of plastics and other products produced from oil. Although some may not want to, one must acknowledge the overdependence on plastics throughout the world. There are obvious reasons for this: plastics are affordable, easy to use, produce, and are considered to be somewhat of an essential part of daily life. But our idea of what is essential is directly related to our current lifestyles. As studies have shown, those lifestyles are not going to be able to be sustained much further in the future. A major contributor to this realization is the coming supply shortage of oil [15]. If there is not enough oil, then there will be less production of plastics. People will not be able to choose whether or not they can live without plastics. That choice will be made for us.

Future generations will have it much worse off. The longer we continue with our current production and usage of plastics, the bigger impact they will feel when there is simply not enough to go around. Something must be done soon in order to lessen the blow, so to speak.

Opponents to this argument point to the numerous benefits that plastics have given to modern society. According to the American Chemistry Council (ACC), “The U.S. plastics industry employs nearly 900,000 workers… and contributes $373 billion in annual shipments to our economy” [16]. Along with economic benefits, plastics have revolutionized the transportation and health care industries, among others, by allowing everyone access to affordable, efficient cars and health care [16]. Plastics may be being used in excess, but in order for further innovation to occur, scientists, doctors, and inventors need to be able to explore new possibilities, many of which involve the use of plastics.

As for future generations, there are alternative methods being used to produce plastics. For example, certain plant biomass, such as wood chips and corn stalks, are currently being researched and tested to maximize the efficiency of plastic production using those materials [17].

Conclusion

Plastic is a great material to work with due to its mechanical properties, accessibility and applicability. It can be manufactured in large quantities in a relatively simple manner with low cost. Although plastic makes great products and is an important part of engineering, the impacts it has made toward our environment, health and social well-being are not entirely positive. The limited recyclability of plastics with our current technology in combination with our overuse of plastic products has led to accumulation in landfills with a large quantity of plastic waste. Our health is possibly being negatively affected by the toxic chemicals in plastic-made products. Furthermore, our overdependence on plastics will soon deplete the ingredients needed to produce plastics which in returns may cause a production crisis of products essential to our lives. In conclusion, as a society we must develop a plan to find balance between convenience and preservation in the future of plastic usage.

The problems with plastics can be categorized into environmental, human health and social aspects. Plastics are not biodegradable; therefore, whenever plastics are discarded they accumulate in landfills and pollute our land as well as our ocean. Plastics may also be bad for our health. Plastics contain BPA and Phthalates which have been shown to link to cancer, deformed sex organs, asthma and obesity. Recent studies have even shown that these chemicals can accumulate in our body. Finally, over-dependence of plastic may cause oil to be depleted which may rapidly limit our plastic production rate. It is imperative for these issues to be resolved before our lives are significantly affected by them. There are numerous proposed methods to resolve these issues. First, we should start refraining from overusing plastic products and recycle them whenever we can. This reduces the demand for plastic and its production rate. Avoiding plastic can also limit our exposure to potential toxic chemicals. Secondly, we should educate the public regarding the facts and potential hazards of plastic as well as the need for recycling plastics. Finally, the scientific community should begin putting more emphasis on research for better recycling methods to process plastic waste or new substitutes that are easier to process (for example, biodegradable plastic). Plastic is a great invention and has revolutionized engineering. However, for every minute that we do not work toward the goal to reduce plastic waste, it accumulates and pollutes our environment on an immeasurable scale. Therefore, we must find balance in plastic usage and relieve ourselves from plastic dependence while it is still possible.

References

[1] K. Zeratsky, "What is BPA, and what are the concerns about BPA?," Mayo Clinic, 21 May 2013. [Online]. Available: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bpa/AN01955 . [Accessed 29 November 2013].

[2] Natural Resources Defense Council(NRDC), "Natural Resources Defense Council," Natural Resources Defense Council, 19 April 2011. [Online]. Available: http://www.nrdc.org/living/healthreports/bpa-diet.asp. [Accessed 29 November 2013].

[3] C. Wabnitz and N. W. J, "Marine Turtle Newsletter," Editorial:
Plastic Pollution: An Ocean Emergency, no. 129, pp. 1-4, 2010.

[4] G. Knight, "A World of Plastic Pollution," in Plastic
Pollution, Chicago, Heinemann
Library, 2012, pp. 4-17.

[5] 5GYRES, "5GYRES," 5GYRES, [Online]. Available: http://5gyres.org/. [Accessed 28 November 2013].

[6] Plastic Waste Management Institute, "Plastic Waste Management Institute," Plastic Waste Management Institute, 2009. [Online]. Available: http://www.pwmi.or.jp/ei/index.htm. [Accessed 29 November 2013].

[7] L. Terry, "Biodegradable Plastic Made From Plant Materials," 7 November 2013. [Online]. Available: http://apps.research.ufl.edu/otl/pdf/marketing/13449.pdf. [Accessed 29 November 2013].

[8] K. Zeratsky, “What is BPA, and what are the concerns about BPA?” Mayo Clinic, May 21, 2013. Availale: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bpa/AN01955 [Accessed on Nov 29, 2013]

[9] Science Daily, “Bisphenol A (BPA) Accumulates More Rapidly Within the Body Than Previously Thought,” Science daily, June 7, 2011. Available: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110606075708.htm [Accessed on Nov 29, 2013]

[10] Natural Resources Defense Council(NRDC) , “How to Halve your your BPA,” Natural Resources Defense Council, April 19, 2011. Available: http://www.nrdc.org/living/healthreports/bpa-diet.asp. [Accessed on Nov 29, 2013]

[11] Earth Resource Foundation, “Plastic and human health.”, Earth Resource Foundation. Available: http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-health.html [Accessed on Nov 29.2013]

[12] Maia James, “How to avoid Phthalates(Even though you can’t avoid Phthalates)”, Huffpost healthy living, Jan 14, 2013. Available: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maia-james/phthalates-health_b_2464248.html [Accessed on Nov 29, 2013]

[13] John entine, “Bisphenol A (BPA) Found Not Harmful, Yet Again -- So Why Did So Many Reporters and NGOs Botch Coverage, Yet Again? “ Forbes. Oct 31, 2012. Available: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonentine/2012/10/31/bisphenol-a-bpa-found-not-harmful-yet-again-so-why-did-so-many-reporters-and-ngos-botch-coverage-yet-again/ [Accessed on Nov 29, 2013]

[14] Karen Sughrue, “Phthalates, are they safe?” 60 minutes, CBS news, May 21, 2010.

Available: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/phthalates-are-they-safe/4/ [Accessed on Nov 29, 2013]

[15] J. Lundberg, "War on plastic: Rejecting the toxic plague," 20 December 2004. [Online]. Available: http://www.culturechange.org/e-letter-plastics.html. [Accessed 29 November 2013].

[16] American Chemistry Council, "Plastics: Making modern life possible," 2013. [Online]. Available: http://www.plasticsindustry.org/AboutPlastics/contentwip.cfm?ItemNumber=6785. [Accessed 29 November 2013].

[17] R. F. Service, "A Greener Way to Make Plastic," 25 November 2010. [Online]. Available: http://news.sciencemag.org/technology/2010/11/greener-way-make-plastic. [Accessed 29 November 2013].

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