Social and ecological issues
When considering the ecological and social implications of using A polymer is a large molecule formed from many identical smaller molecules (monomers). Polymers can be natural or synthetic. Plastics are long chains of polymers., it is likely that the polymer is A resource that cannot be replaced when it is used up, such as oil, natural gas or coal.. Some polymers are plant-based, but most are derived from Mixture of hydrocarbons, mainly alkanes, formed over millions of years from the remains of ancient dead marine organisms., which cannot be grown and is a Resource that can only be used once and is in limited supply. For example, oil is a finite resource. - there is only a certain amount within the Earth’s The outer layer of the Earth on top of the mantle.. As a tremendous amount of energy is used to convert crude oil to a polymer, it is important to consider other materials or to To use a product again rather than replacing with a new one - one of the 6 Rs. plastics already available.
In order to reduce environmental impact, an analysis is carried out to review different stages of the material or product’s life cycle. There are two different cycles:
- linear - ending with disposal, adding waste to landfill
- circular - continuous and incorporates recycling to ensure materials and products are used over and over again
Life cycle analysis needs to be considered by the designer, the A person or company that makes something from raw materials or from an assembly of component parts. and the In business, a consumer is a person who uses a product and may also buy it. to reduce negative impact on the environment.
Plastic identification codes
Plastic products and packaging have codes on them to identify the type of plastic they are made from, as not all plastics are recyclable.
