In this blog post, we will examine the value of plastic, which has driven the development of modern civilization, as well as the environmental issues it has caused, and consider the direction we should take going forward.
Materials and human civilization
From prehistoric times to the present, civilization has developed at a dazzling pace. Human civilization has developed through the combination of cultural, environmental, and technological factors. It is impossible to rank the importance of individual factors, and today’s civilization is the result of the complex interaction of various factors. However, in this article, we will focus specifically on technological factors.
Humans’ dominant position on Earth is deeply connected to their ability to walk on two legs. With their hands free, humans were able to develop and use tools. Over time, this allowed them to rise to the top of the food chain. If we define tools as “all man-made objects used for our daily lives,” we can see that the tools used by humankind are the best examples of the development of human civilization. All tools require materials with properties suitable for their intended use, and the development of new materials leads to the development of new tools. Therefore, the tools we have developed are linked to the materials we have discovered and developed. The history of the development of materials developed by humankind lies at the foundation of the history of the development of human civilization.
The influence of plastic – A world without plastic
Imagine the following situation. All clothes are made of 100% natural fibers such as cotton and hemp. All beverages and bottled water sold at convenience stores are in glass bottles and cans. Most food ingredients, snacks, bread, and other processed foods are sold in paper bags. Most children’s toys are made of wood and iron, and Lego blocks do not exist. All electronic products that require insulation are finished with glass or wood, which are not very durable. Electrical wire coatings are made of natural rubber, which is difficult to process and expensive.
This is an arbitrary imagination of a world without plastic. According to the definition of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), plastic is “a material that is molded into a final product at some point in the process of forming a polymer into a shape by means of fluidization.” Therefore, synthetic fibers, which account for the largest proportion of our clothing today, are plastics. PET bottles, plastic packaging for processed foods, Lego blocks, circuit boards and insulators for electronic devices, and wire coatings all fall under the category of plastic. Even a quick look at the examples above shows that modern civilization would be very inconvenient without plastic. Nowadays, it is not difficult to find plastic products anywhere in civilized society, and plastic already plays an important role in all aspects of our lives. This is clearly demonstrated by the annual consumption of plastic. In 1940, global plastic consumption was almost zero, but by 2007, consumption had reached 260 billion kilograms. Based on the average American, this means that each person uses more than 140 kilograms of plastic per year. Behind the explosive growth of the plastics industry are several characteristics unique to plastic.
Characteristics of plastic
Among the characteristics of plastic, the most important ones are, first, its economic efficiency. Plastic molecules are composed of a combination of monomers, which are like blocks. The monomers used are by-products of the petroleum industry, so they can be supplied at low prices. Because the raw materials are inexpensive, the unit price of plastic is inevitably low. In addition, plastic has excellent moldability, so the cost of manufacturing products is lower than that of other materials. The second is the excellent physical properties of plastics. Plastics are generally lightweight but have considerable strength, making them impact resistant and highly resistant to corrosion and chemicals. They also have excellent electrical insulation, heat resistance, cold resistance, and moisture resistance. The third is the diversity of plastics. There are many different types of monomers that make up plastic molecules. Therefore, theoretically, there are countless types of plastics, and each plastic has its own unique physical properties. Plastics are economical, have excellent physical properties, and can be used in a wide variety of applications. These characteristics of plastics have also influenced the cultural and environmental aspects of modern civilization.
The impact of plastics on culture – the culture of consumption
Plastic is extremely economical, which is directly linked to the mass production of goods. Before the spread of plastic, consumption was considered a luxury. Cow horns and animal bones were widely used to make hair combs, and billiard balls were made of ivory. Many items that we consume without a second thought today were considered luxury goods at the time. This was partly due to the scarcity of materials, but it was also caused by the way goods were manufactured. Goods produced one by one by hand are inevitably more luxurious than those mass-produced in factories. Consumption, which was a symbol of the upper class before the advent of plastic, became a culture for all social classes with the spread of plastic. People became consumers, and it became natural to easily purchase, consume, and discard goods.
The emergence of disposable products is part of this context. The economic efficiency of plastic changed our way of thinking by allowing us to use items that we used multiple times in our daily lives once and then discard them. As the need to conserve goods decreased, consumption became more frequent and simpler, and we came to define ourselves as consumers. In modern society, consumption is not limited to material things. Modern consumers consume all kinds of content, including books, TV programs, movies, music, and webtoons. Consumption, which has already become a culture in modern civilization, is a phenomenon that can be seen in the thickening of the consumer base. This is deeply related to the advent of plastic, which made mass production of goods possible.
The impact of plastic on the environment – Environmental pollution
One of the characteristics of plastic is its excellent durability. Not only is it strong, but it is also corrosion-resistant, which means that it can maintain its quality even after long periods of use. However, this can also be a major problem from the opposite perspective. The material recycling rate of plastic is estimated to be around 30%, and the remaining 70% of plastic waste is landfilled or left unattended, causing environmental pollution as it does not decompose over time. As a solution to this problem, environmentally friendly plastics such as biodegradable plastics are being researched. On the other hand, projects are underway to collect plastic waste floating in the ocean, and policies are being implemented to encourage the separate collection and recycling of plastics. The popularization of consumption brought about by the advent of plastics has resulted in an annual consumption of 260 billion kilograms of plastics. The environmental pollution caused by this has a direct and indirect impact on modern civilization. It is estimated that 700 million kilograms of plastic flow into the ocean every year, posing a serious threat to the ecosystem of marine life, including seabirds. This ecological disruption is important because it could become a major problem for us in the long run. In modern civilization, the issue of environmental pollution has been included in the direction of future development.
Conclusion – Plastic and Modern Civilization
From an economic perspective, there is no substitute for PET bottles used as packaging for bottled water. Due to the excellent properties of synthetic fibers, most of today’s clothing contains a high percentage of synthetic fibers, which are also difficult to replace with other materials. Plastic, which is already widespread in our society and has a clear position, has led human civilization to its current position since its emergence. The mass production of goods through the use of plastic has provided everyone with the opportunity to become consumers. This has narrowed the gap between social classes to some extent and has also influenced people’s behavior. On the other hand, the explosive use of plastic has caused environmental pollution. This requires us to find a new direction for the future that allows us to protect the environment while continuing to develop. As we can see, the cultural and environmental changes that occurred with the development of plastic have had a direct impact on human civilization. This is not limited to plastic alone. The development of materials has always influenced the development of human civilization, and its impact is broader and deeper than we can imagine.
