- It is very strong and can be molded easily into different shapes, making it easier and more convenient in our lives. It’s not expensive either.
- Plastic provides uses that other materials cannot.
- It has an ability to guard against contamination in sterile medical environments such as hospitals.
- When used to store food, it preserves the flavor and freshness.
- It is child-resistant and leak-proof and is useful for holding dangerous household objects such as bleach, ammonia and other caustic cleaners.
- Plastic packaging can withstand shipping and plastic containers provide good storage solutions at home and in an office.
Cons:
- It takes about a couple centuries for plastic in a hard form to start decomposing, and another 10 centuries for it to decompose completely. And they’re still toxic a=even after they break down.
- It gets littered everywhere: in parks, in the ocean, in classrooms, in houses, etc.
- Animals get caught trapped or hurt by it everyday, where plastic interferes with their lives. If one species dies out, the rest will definitely be effected (in good and bad ways).
- Plastic gets produced really quickly. Next year, 300 million tons of plastic will have been produced worldwide. Plastic lasts for a very long time, and can be used over and over. But the majority of the human population takes it as a single-use material that goes in the dump after usage.