Did you know the plastic toothbrush you used this morning has the ability to see your next 18 generations? In fact, every plastic toothbrush created in history still exists, as plastic toothbrushes’ production started in 1938 and their life is around 500 years. Look around yourself, dear reader. In every direction you see, you will find some sort of plastic in action. But what if one day you hear an emergency siren telling people that due to a failed CIA experiment, every plastic in the world is vanishing? Well, you would be surprised to hear that instead of desperately trying to save your video games, you would run to your closet, as 60 to 69 percent of all clothing in the world has plastic (polyester and nylon).
So, what is so special about this plastic that makes it the Michael Jackson of every industry while possessing a long life that can rival a jinn. The life of plastics starts deep underground as crude oil. This oil has hydrogen and carbon atoms, which are basically the construction material in our story. When these oils are pumped, scientists use a shape-shifting trick on them known as polymerization. Monomers are small hydrogen-carbon molecules that act like your small Lego bricks. Scientists then apply intense heat and pressure to these monomers. This makes a sense of unity in these, and each monomer bonds with the next monomer, or, in simple words, each monomer reaches for the hand of the next monomer. This creates a massive and strong molecule known as a polymer. Plastic is the everyday name for these polymers.
Yet, the reason for plastic being hated by environmentalists is also reasonable. In nature, bacteria and fungi are the ones that break down the leftovers. They do this by recognizing weak spots in the chemical structures of leftovers. However, in plastic, the chemical bonds holding the carbon atoms together in a polymer chain are incredibly strong and tight. Thus, bacteria lack the tools (enzymes) to chop them up. Making the life span of plastic up to 1000 years.
Scientists are currently researching other substitutions for plastic. Bioplastic is being created from seaweed that can dissolve in water. It is crafted from marine algae, resulting in a durable, compostable, and often edible material that leaves zero harmful microplastics behind. Moreover, packaging grown from mushroom roots that turns into dirt after you throw it away has been a successful experiment that has reached commercial production.
Now we don’t need any failed experiment by the CIA to remove plastic from our world; we just need better science and alternatives for plastic. Look around your room; what is one item in your room that you could replace with an eco-friendly alternative?
