The Beautiful side of plastic bags!!!
xxxxxxxWOW, plastic bag is so so so convenient and popular among the customers and retailer nowadays. Because plastic bags are
• Strong and light
• Cheap
• Hygienic to pack goods
• Easily molded
• Inert to chemical attacks
Where can you find a lot a lot of plastic bags??
xxxxxxxMarket, supermarkets, convenient stall and fast food restaurants are greatly purchasing the plastic bags at low rate to pack goods for customer. Customers like us think that plastic bag is a “must services” given by the seller when we buy their goods. If the seller doesn’t provide you any plastic bag to pack your goods, what is the first impression came to your mind??
• They are very GIAM SIAP??
• Conclusion, do not BONG CHAN him or her anymore??
A British family is carrying groceries with plastic bags after shopping.
Also, polystyrene container is very useful and popular among students, like me XD who are staying outside when DA BAO chicken rice or ZAP FAN. The advantages are almost similar to the plastic which is light, hygiene, convenient and heat resistant. Foamed polystyrene is made of petroleum-derived chemicals, which believed to create hazardous health risks to Homosapiens.
The real face behind of the beautiful mask!!
xxxxxxxMost of the plastics bags will end up in landfill after used. About 50 to 80 million of plastic bags being “abandon” on the street, everywhere in our TAMAN, and LONGGANG. Although plastic bags are just a smalllllllll percentage of all the litter, the impact of these litter are somehow considered sizeable. The biggest dilemma associates with plastic bags such that
- THey are non-biodegradable, which means cannot be decompose by bacteria. It takes approximately 20 to 1000 years to decompose.
- These plastic bags litter create unhygienic eyesore pollution.
- Open burning of polymers release harming and toxic gases that will cause air pollution. Burning of PVC will release hydrogen chloride gases which initiate the acid rain.
- Especially harmful to our wildlife. Plastic bags have been always mistaken for jellyfish by the wildlife.
- Hence, plastic bag pollution in marine environments is considered extremely hazardous, as wildlife like birds, whales, seals and turtles consume the bags and die from choking and intestinal blockages.
Wall E found a bra in the lanfill.
Operating sea turtle to remove plastic bags in its gut. 
Green turtle gut contents including blue plastic bag and red balloon.
An Indonesian cow said: “Mooo~Why my food is so non ‘chew-able’ today?? I think I just swallow it without chewing!! Mooo~”
F.Y.I (Four your information) TIME!!!
Production
xxxxxxxPlastic bag is an example of synthetic polymers which are the polymers made from the factory for chemical substance, which are also refer to plastic, such as the well known polystyrene. Material of synthetic polymers is obtained from our mother earth precious petroleum, after refining and cracking. Plastic bags are made up of a gas called ethylene. Ethylene is made into polymers (chains of ethylene molecules) called polyethylene.
The repeating unit of polyethylene
xxxxxxxPolyethylene is a polymer consisting of long chains of the monomer ethylene. Polyethylene contains the chemical elements carbon and hydrogen. Polyethylene is created through polymerization of ethene. It can be produced through radical polymerization, anionic addition polymerization, ion coordination polymerization or cationic addition polymerization. Polyethylene burn with a light yellow flame and no soot as it is non aromatic hydrocarbon.
xxxxxxxThere are two types of plastic shopping bags in the market
i. the lighter filmy bags obtained from supermarkets and other food outlets are made from high density polyethylene (HDPE), which can be recycled.
ii. the thicker bags are made from low density polyethylene (LDPE) which is non-recycled.
Examples are Milk, juice and water bottles; trash and retail bags.
Plastic Identification Code - Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
Examples are frozen food bags; squeezable bottles; flexible container lids.
xxxxxxxPolystyrene is another example of synthetic polymers which produced from styrene, aka vinyl benzene the chemical formula of C6H5CH=CH2. Polystyrene (plastic #6) is the most difficult common plastic to recycle. It is an aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is manufactured from petroleum. Pure solid polystyrene is a colorless, hard plastic with limited flexibility. It can be cast into molds with fine detail. Polystyrene can be transparent or can be made to take on various colors.
xxxxxxxPolystyrene is a long chain hydrocarbon connected to a phenyl group. Polystyrene contains the chemical elements carbon and hydrogen. Complete oxidation of polystyrene produces only carbon dioxide and water vapor. Because it is an aromatic hydrocarbon, it burns with an orange-yellow flame, giving off soot, as opposed to non-aromatic hydrocarbon polymers.
Plastic Identification Code- Polystyerene (PS)
Examples are Egg cartons; packing peanuts; disposable cups, plates, trays and cutlery; disposable take-away containers;
xxxxxxxTo summarize, purchase plastics with the #5 which is the safest plastic and can be reused. Plastics #1, #2, #4 are okay but be wary of shelf-life and never heat or reuse. Avoid bad plastics #3, #6, #7 if possible.
xxxxxxAlso, possible health problems that could result from human over-exposure to the chemicals used in various types of plastics such as asthma, birth defects, chronic bronchitis, genetic changes, indigestion, infertility, liver dysfunction, skin diseases, ulcers and vision failure.
Open burning of synthetic polymers.
Why Burning Plastic is so hazardous?
xxxxxxxPlastics especially PVC will result in release of the deadly poison when burned which is dioxin. Dioxin is a toxic organic chemical that contains chlorine and is produced when chlorine and hydrocarbons are heated at high temperatures.
xxxxxxxThe chemical name for dioxin is: 2,3,7,8- tetrachlodibenzo para dioxin (TCDD). Dioxins are environmental pollutants. They have the unsure distinction of belonging to the “dirty dozen” - a group of dangerous chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants.
xxxxxxShort-term exposure of humans to high levels of dioxins may result in skin lesions, such as CHLORACNE and PATCHY DARKENING OF THE SKIN and ALTHERED LIVER FUNCTION.
xxxxxxxLong-term exposure is linked to IMPAIRMENT OF IMMUNE SYSTEM, DEVELOPING NERVOUS SYSTEM, ENDOCRINE SYSTEM and REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTIONS.
xxxxxxxOnce dioxins have absorbed into the body, they tolerate a long time because of their chemical stability and their ability to be stored in the fat tissue. Their half-life in the body is estimated to be seven to eleven years. In the environment, dioxins tend to accumulate in the food chain. The higher in the animal food chain one goes, the higher is the concentration of dioxins.
A child is affected by dioxin.. YUM GONG!!!
Viktor A. Yushchenko, the Ukrainian opposition candidate, had been poisoned with dioxin
Left: Picture taken on 30 June 2004
Right: Picture taken on 1 November 2004
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!!
xxxxxxxOther countries are to the lead of the United States in finding solutions to reduce the impact of plastic bags to our mother nature!
Bangladesh:
Polythene plastic bags have been banned completely. The government is promoting bags made of jute, a natural fiber.
Ireland:
Individual consumers are required to pay a 15c tax per plastic bag - this has resulted in an estimated 90% reduction in plastic bag use in the first year.
The European Union:
Member countries require manufacturers/producers of plastic bags and other plastic waste to take them back and recycle them.
xxxxxxxThe wide use of polyethylene makes it an important environmental issue. Although it can be recycled, most of the polyethylene ends up in landfills and in the oceans. Polyethylene is not considered biodegradable, as it takes several centuries until it is efficiently degraded.
Green bag is another alternative to plastic bags to carry groceries in shopping mall. First, the green bag is very affordable and is created out of 100% of polypropylene which is completely environment friendly and it lowers the latter percentage greatly.
Green Bag
Jusco Nagahusa Oyama is greatly promoting Green Bags!!
xxxxxxxPolypropylene is an example of plastics #5, has a chemical called C3H6, and it is used to create both fiber and plastics, the chemical is a mix of hydrogen and carbon atoms, none of which are harmful to our environment. The amount of disposals of the green bag is significantly lower than the number of standard plastic bag disposals as the bag is completely recyclable.
Polypropylene
If we are still doing nothing from now on, we will be ended up just like the humans in “Wall E”
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MANIPULATED BY MACHINE!!
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