Plastics & its

impact

Md. Arifur Rahman Hera

Sr. Executive-R&D,
BFBIL

About plastics.
The wordplasticis derived from theGreek
(plastikos) meaningcapable of being shaped
or molded.
Plastics are a range of synthetic or semi-synthetic
polymerization products that can be molded into a
permanent object having the property of plasticity.
Plastic is a long chain like molecules(Polymars)
made from petroleum capable being molded,
extruded or cast into various shapes.
The first plastic was invented in 1862 by
Alexander Parkes.
At first plastics could only be made in brown or black
(Bakelite) color.
In 1930s Amino plastics' "had been invented which
could be made in lots of bright color.

Plastic Bottles
A plastic bottle is a rigid or semi-rigid container composed of
plastic, having a comparatively narrow neck or mouth but
without any handle. There is an opening on the top of the
bottle which is fastened by a cap.
Plastic bottles are primarily used for storing liquids like
water, milk, cooking oil, medicine, and soft drinks.
Plastic soda bottles first arrived in the market in the
beginning of the 1970s, almost 200 years later than the
discovery of plastic.
In the past, plastics were derived from nature. It was not
until the 1900s that the production of purely synthetic plastic
has begun.

Properties of Plastics
Resistan
t

Durable Insulator

Inexpensi
ve

Easy to
produce

About 100 million tones of plastic is produced each year.

Plastics are strong, light weight, flexible and durable.

Plastics show superior optical properties(clarity, gloss and color).
Plastics can be easily molded into a variety of shapes and sizes.
Plastics have excellent mechanical strength (tensile properties,
tear resistance impact resistance).

TYPES OF PLASTIC PRODUCTS

PLASTIC
PLASTIC
PLASTIC
PLASTIC
PLASTIC
PLASTIC
PLASTIC
PLASTIC
PLASTIC
PLASTIC
PLASTIC

WATER POT
CONTAINERS
TIFFIN BOX
BAGS
FURNITURE
SHEETS
FITTINGS
TOYS
BUCKETS
SANITARYWARE
STATIONERY

Plastics >

Statistics

Percentage of Plastic used in different fields

Mechanical Engineering; 2%; 2%

Medical; 2%; 2%
Footwear; 1%; 1%

Packaging; 35%; 35%

Toys/Sports; 3%; 3%
Transport; 8%; 8%

Other; 3%; 3%

Furniture/Houseware; 8%; 8%
Electrical and Electronics; 8%; 8%

Building and Construction; 23%; 23%

Agriculture; 7%; 7%

Classification
Thermoplastic

Plastics that do not undergo chemical

change in their composition when
heated and can be molded again and
again.

Thermosetting

Thermosets are permanently "set" once

they're initially formed and can't be
melted.

80% of the plastics produced are thermoplastics and of these Polyethylene, Polypropylene,
Polystyrene and Polyvinylchoride (PVC) are most commonly used (70%)

Reaction On Heating
Thermoplastic

Uses includes
plastic wrap,
food
containers,
lighting
panels,
garden hoses,
and the
plastic bag.

Thermoset

Uses includes
kitchen tools,
glues,
varnishes,
electronic
components
(circuit
boards).

Categories of Plastics

Classification
Type

Expansion

Uses

#1 PET

Polyethylene
terephthalate
High-density
polyethylene

Plastic water bottle, cable

warps, polyester fabrics etc.
Bottles for milk and washingup liquids.
Food trays, bottles for
squash, and shampoo etc..
Carrier bags and bin liners
etc.
Microwaveable
meal trays,
food containers,
etc.
Pots,
trays, boxesJar
, cups,
plastic cutlery, packaging ,
toys etc.
some reusable water bottles,
baby bottles and some metal
can linings.

#2 HDPE
#3 PVC
#4 LDPE
#5 PP

Polyvinyl chloride
Low-density
polyethylene

Polypropylene

#6 PS

Polystyrene

#7 OTHER

Other

Plastics those are Food Graded

or not

Standards for materials used in food applications may be determined by compliance agencies such as Health Canadaor
theUnited States Food and Drug Administration (FDAor USFDA) where there are no regulations, standards setting
organizations such asNSF Internationaland theAmerican National Standards Institutehave developed voluntary
standards that are widely accepted throughout the world.

Food Grade Material Criteria

Food Grade Material Criteria

appropriate for intended use; suitable for the

activity being conducted and the environment in
which it is being conducted

non-toxic; surfaces and coatings are free of lead

solder, lead, and/or lead-containing alloys or other
toxic components likely to contaminate food

inert; does not chemically react with,

or leach into maple products, does
not react with cleaning chemicals,
etc.

non-porous/non-absorbent; to prevent
contaminants such as chemical residues, mould
spores, etc. being trapped/absorbed/transferred to
sap or syrup

durable; able to withstand repeated

cleaning and sanitizing without
surface degradation

cleanable; does not harbour

bacteria or cleaning and/or sanitizing
chemicals

non-breakable; will not create a

physical hazard

smooth; surfaces are free from pitting, cracks,

crevices, open seams, holes, corrosion, loose
scale, peeling paint, etc.
corrosion resistant in the intended end use
environment

Plastics those are Food Graded

or not
Food

Grade Materials

Stainless steel (as determined by NSF/ANSI 51, requires a minimum 16% chromium which includes
SAE series 200, 300 or 400 series - 300 series is most commonly used in the food industry)

Plastic recognized as food grade (meets compositional and purity standards, as well as established
conditions of use, determined by a compliance agency e.g. Health Canada)

Aluminum (as determined by NSF/ANSI 51, only Alloy Series 1000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000
may be used. Its use is generally limited to sap buckets and 6000 series aluminum filter presses)

Glass (as determined by NSF/ANSI 51, if not subjected to impact by hard objects during use)

Filter fabric (meets voluntary national standards established by NSF/ANSI 42 & 53)

Reverse Osmosis membrane (meets voluntary national standards established by NSF/ANSI 58)

Diatomaceous earth (meets standards determined by a compliance agency e.g. Health Canada)

Plastic piping and/or tubing (meets standards of NSF/ANSI 51 for food equipment materials

Plastic tubing suitable for potable water (designated as NSF/ANSI 61 or NSF-PW)

Plastics those are Food Graded

or not

Non-Food

Grade Materials

Terneplate (a tin/lead alloy coating with up to 85 percent lead)

Lead solder (a tin/lead alloy - may contain up to 60 percent lead)

Non-food grade plastic (chemical composition and/or material purity not deemed
acceptable by a compliance agency e.g. Health Canada)

Galvanized steel (a pure zinc coating) often associated with lead soldered seams in
older equipment, utensils and valves; standards set by the Manufacturers of Maple
Sugaring Equipment do not permit the use of galvanizing on any food contact surface

Painted steel (may contain lead, peeling probable)

Brass (a copper/zinc alloy) depending on its composition, may contain small

quantities of antimony, arsenic, phosphorus, manganese, silicon and up to 3.8 percent
lead to improve machinability - lead-free brass may be used only for connections and
joints.

POLLUTANTS FROM PLASTIC

POLLUTANTS FROM PLASTIC

Plastics Release Pollutants:
Poly brominated di-phenyl ethers

(PBDE)
Nonylphenolls
Bisphenol A (BPA)
Phthalates
Plastics Absorb Hydrophobic Pollutants:

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloro ethane
(DDT)
Dichloro Diphenyl Dichloro ethylene
PVC when burned result in emissions of the deadly poisons named dioxin.
(DDE)
Dioxins are highly persistent compounds, with the potential to become
increasingly concentrated in living tissues as they move up the food chain. It
is often considered to be the man-made compound most toxic to animals.

Pollution due to plastic bottles & containers

Bisphenol A & Phthalates
Food

and drinks stored in plastic bottles can contain trace amount

of Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical that interferes with the
bodys natural hormonal messaging system.

Repeated

re-use of such bottleswhich get dinged up through

normal wear and tear and while being washedincreases the
chance that chemicals will leak out of the tiny cracks and crevices
that develop over time.

BPA

has been linked to breast and uterine cancer, an

increased risk of miscarriage, and decreased testosterone
levels.

tin can that entered the ocean in 1986 is still decomposing in

2006 but a plastic bottle that entered the ocean in 1986 is
decomposing in 2436.

Pollution due to plastic bottles & containers

Bisphenol A & Phthalates
These

chemicals are both shown to be potent hormone

disruptors and are increasingly linked to adverse health
effects like cancer, infertility, early puberty, obesity,
behavior changes, and reproductive system damages.

landmark report on BPA published in 2008 by the U.S.

National Toxicology Program concluded that there were
concerns over BPAs effects on the brain, behaviour and
prostate gland development in foetuses, infants and children.
meaning one-time use. So don't reuse single-use
plastics. They can break down and release chemicals into
your food or beverage when used repeatedly..

study has for the first time linked a common chemical used
in everyday products such as plastic drink containers and
baby bottles to health problems, specifically heart disease
and diabetes.

Impact on Environment
Plastic is ever-present in our lives
because it is convenient and relatively
inexpensive.
Its convenience comes from being
lightweight and its ability to absorb impact
shock without breaking.
Plastics are so versatile in use that their
impacts on environment are extremely wide
ranging, posing serious challenge for disposal.

Careless disposal of plastic bags chokes drains, blocks the porosity of the
soil, and causes problems for groundwater recharge. Due to its nonbiodegradable nature, littering of plastics causes irreversible damage to
the environment.

Disadvantages of Plastic
Products
As many as 100,000 whales,
turtles and birds have been
reported to die every year,
because of plastic in
environment.
Plastic not only have adverse
effects on our natural habitats,
but have also been found to be
responsible for the death of
many animals, mainly on
account of the suffocation
encountered on eating them.

Plastic when burn in air

When plastic burned in
air it releases a host of
poisonous
chemicals
into the air, including
dioxin, the most toxic
substance known to
science.
1. Dioxins are found throughout

the world in the

environment and they accumulate in the food chain,
mainly in the fatty tissue of animals.
2. Dioxins are highly toxic and can cause reproductive
and developmental problems, damage the immune
system, interfere with hormones and also cause
cancer.

Some recommendation for using

plastics
Don't microwave in plastic containers.

Cover food in the microwave with a paper towel instead of

plastic wrap.

Don't reuse single-use plastics (the number one PET

plastics). They can break down and release plastics chemicals
when used repeatedly.

Do not use old, scratched plastic containers. Exposures to

plastics chemicals may be greater when the surface is worn
down.

Choose glass or BPA-free baby bottles with a clear silicone

nipple.

Avoid plastic to mouth contact, especially for babies and kids.

References:

5.

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/inspection/maple/mple-guidanceS1-1-3.htm#1.3.2
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2157423/Poisoned-plastic-Chemicals
-water-bottles-food-packaging-linked-infertility-birth-defects-Scaremongerin
g-truth.html
http://modernsurvivalblog.com/preps/safe-plastics-for-food-and-drink/
http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/problemswithplastics.htm
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-chemical-heart-idUSLF18683220080916

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