Know the REAL FACTS of PLASTIC !!!

WHAT IS PLASTIC AND WHY IS IT AN ISSUE?

                                                                  Plastic is all around us.  It forms much of the packaging for our food and drink.  For many of us, it is throughout our home, our workplace, our car, the bus we take to and from work.  It can be in our clothing, eyeglasses, teeth, toothbrush, computers, phones, dishes, utensils, toys.  The list goes on. 

Plastic is versatile, lightweight, flexible, moisture resistant, durable, strong and relatively inexpensive.  It can be chemical resistant, clear or opaque, and practically unbreakable.  These are wonderful useful qualities, and plastic plays many important roles in life on Earth, but the widespread use of plastic is also causing unprecedented environmental problems, and harbours serious health risks – especially for children.  Plastic should be used wisely, with caution and only when suitable alternatives do not exist or are not available.

Plastics are synthetic materials created by linking together into polymers - i.e., polymerizing - molecules of monomer raw material derived from petroleum, natural gas or coal. Polymers alone rarely have the physical qualities to be of practical value, so most plastics contain various chemical additives to facilitate the manufacturing process or produce a particular desirable property, such as flexibility or toughness.