All About Me

Do you know me? I’m very famous all over the world. I’m made out of polymers
which are long, flexible chains of chemical compounds.

Most of my brothers and sisters that are used today are man-made that are derived
from fossil fuels. However,because of our utility the global production of us has
doubled about every decade causing the amount of plastic (me) to weigh out to 9.5
million tons,nearly 1,600 Great Pyramids of Giza.

Most of my brothers and sisters end up in the trash which end up damaging natural
habitats,endangering wild life and worst of all, polluting communities around the
world. I may seem useful to you but if I’m not handled properly I may not be only
dangerous to you but to every living creature.

The best way people can avoid pollution we bring is to reduce the amount of us that
you use in your daily basis. As you people can make a big change in helping decrease
wastes that are caused by us.

But for my other brothers and sisters that are already produced other solutions are
being explored by scientists. Scientists have discovered that a few organisms are
capable of breaking down me and my brothers and sisters. Wax worms and meal
worms for example can eat and turn us into composts.

Changes are already happening in the making of me as well with some

manufacturers turning back to plants for ingredients called biodegradable bio
plastics. These materials are as durable as synthetic plastics that come from
renewable resources and can therefore biodegrade.

Even the so called rubber tree is once again being sourced for the making of plastics.
To this day,the trees latex is used to create a range of products such us all-natural
latex rubber gloves,tires and mattresses. The rubber itself is now a part of the global
initiative for the natural and sustainable sourcing of plastics.

We can almost be found anywhere but by understanding my history and my uses,

people can benefit from me while also thinking about our planet.