Ten Key Plastic Industry Facts
Listed below are some common facts about plastics and their use.
1. Plastics allow us to do more with less.
Plastic is a lightweight and versatile material. It takes just a little bit of plastic to do a lot. For example, the plastic grocery bag of today is 70 per cent thinner than it was when first introduced 25 years ago. The thickness of a typical plastic grocery bag has been reduced from 2.3 millimeters in 1976 to just 0.7 millimeters today making it a cost-effective and environmentally efficient choice.
2. Plastics make a significant contribution to sustainable development.
When evaluating the contribution plastics make to sustainable development, consider their impact on sustainability from a social, economic and environmental perspective. Plastics help improve social conditions through relatively low-cost and safe products, such as single-use syringes and many other life-saving medical applications. Economically, the Canadian plastics industry accounts for an estimated $33.7 billion in shipments of plastic products and another $12.2 billion in shipments of raw materials, machinery and moulds. In addition, the decision to use plastics will mean lower costs and improved performance in most applications. Plastics also make an important environmental contribution. Food packaging, for instance, helps extend the shelf life of our food and results in less spoilage and less waste.
3. Plastics account for a very small percentage of the world's natural gas and oil.
Just think about it. Only four per cent of the world’s oil reserves is used to make plastics. Think about how many things around us are made from plastic. Then consider that when their useful life has ended, the plastic materials can find an extended life as something else. Or, the energy value that was borrowed can be returned. Now that’s efficiency!
4. Plastics reduce our consumption of oil.
Estimates suggest that the 100 kg of plastic material used in modern cars replace between 200 and 300 kg of other materials. This, in turn, reduces fuel consumption. The use of plastics contributes to an approximate fuel saving of 1.8 million liters over the life span of vehicles produced in Canada in one year alone.
5. Plastics are valuable even at the end of their lifecycle.
After fulfilling the useful purpose that they were designed for, plastics can be recycled or reused as an alternative fuel. Since plastics are made from oil and gas, their value as a fuel source is inherent, therefore, they can be recycled into something else when it makes economic and environmental sense, or the fuel value can be recaptured. Plastic products have a calorific value that is at least equal to coal but with lower CO2 emissions.
6. Plastics are essential to renewable energy technologies.
Much of today’s focus on renewable energy technologies would not be possible without the use of plastics. Both solar panels and wind turbines use plastics in their construction.
7. Plastics help preserve our precious resources.
Over one billion people in the world lack access to safe water. Plastics can preserve and distribute water economically, reliably and safely.
8. Plastics are technological champions.
From the thin sutures used in medical applications to the strong, resilient panels used in the aerospace industry, plastics are capable of taking on many forms and characteristics.
9. Plastics help reduce.
Without plastics packaging, the weight of packaging would increase four-fold, production costs and energy consumption would double and waste volume would increase by 150 per cent.
10. Plastics help keep us safe.
Plastics protect us in many different areas of our lives – from the air bags and car seats in our vehicles to the smoke detectors and electrical outlet covers in our homes to the bicycle helmets and protective sports gear used by our children. Plastics protect us against injury and pain.