plastic polution

1. Justification of plastic production :
We are justifying the plastic production in various ground globally and as well as nationally by
using the fact and figure, a rapid growth in this industry, is the result of good relation between
different countries.
If we see globally we can understand the following:
Globalplastic production:
Plastics are used in a wide variety of products and have displaced other materials, such
as wood, metal, and glass. It can be formed into polyesters for use in fabrics and textiles,
polyvinylidene chloride for food packaging, and polycarbonates for eyeglasses and compact
discs, among thousands of other uses. The production of plastic requires four basic steps: the
acquirement of raw material, synthesizing a basic polymer, compounding the polymer into a
usable fraction, and lastly, molding or shaping the plastic. The production of plastic is quite
energy intensive, requiring 62 to 108 mega joules of energy per kilogram based on U.S.
efficiency averages. Producing silicon can require up to 235 mega joules per kilogram of
material.
In 2014, global plastic production reached 311 million metric tons, with 59 million metric tons in
Europe alone. China is one of the largest producers of plastics in the world, accommodating
around one quarter of the global production. Plastic wholesaling generated 55 billion U.S.
dollars in 2013 in the United States. Plastic imports from China into the United States are
steadily increasing as China’s plastic industry grows. Production of plastics in China will
continue to develop and include more efficient companies that produce higher quality plastics.

2. World Plastics Production 1950 – 2015
• Plastics are a global success story.
• Continuous growth for more than 50 years.
• Europe and NAFTA are on a similar level each with a share of around 18% to19%.
• Within a few years, China has risen to the most important plastics producer. All other regions
lost global production share
Polyolefins account for more than 55% of global Plastics Materials demand.
• Standard Plastics (Polyolefins, PVC, PS & EPS, PET) account for approx. 85% of the total
demand.
Pakistan production Growth:
National level we can justify plastic production
Pakistan's plastic industry is Groving at an average annual growth rate of 15% with a
total estimated production capacity of 624,200 M/T per annum. The industry attracted
investment amounting to more than US$ 260 billion, almost half of which was foreign
direct investment (FDI), and as a result export growth has increased to 35%. Pakistan
has established successful export markets for its plastic goods. In foreign markets
including countries like Australia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, West Indies, UAE, Kuwait,
Taiwan, Nigeria and Zimbabwe; Pakistan is strategically well placed to target the all
important local and international buyers in one of the world's largest trading regions.
Particular growth is being seen in exports of plastic components for the automobile
industry. This growth happened, besides entrepreneurial efforts, due to simplified tax
policy on local production and reduction in import tariff on plastic raw materials. The
industry is contributing more than Rs7.5 billion annually to the national.
https://www.ecgateway.net
GDP:
national treasury in shape of custom duty, sales tax and income tax. Its contribution to the
gross domestic product (GDP) was 1.69%15. It is a high technology industry and most of
modern plastic processing machinery is imported from Japan,
Per Capita:
The capacity utilization has been in between 43 to 95%. Plastics industry in the un-organized
sector is totally self-financed and during the last decade, the un-organized sector has grown

3. much more rapidly. The per capita consumption of plastic in Pakistan is 3.1 kilograms. There
are some 6,000 plastic products manufacturers in the country and 600,000 people are directly
and indirectly engaged with this business.
Pakistan imports 80-90 percent raw material for plastic making from different countries. The
total consumption of raw material used in the plastic industry in the country is around 450,000
tonnes. The country imports raw material from UAE and Far Eastern countries and special
grade raw material is imported from Germany and USA.
Plastic Resin Industry of Pakistan:
plastic resin industry produces resins which are further treated in plastics processing facilities
and sold largely to the building and construction, packaging and consumer markets. Plastic
resins are generally categorized into two types: thermoplastics and thermosets. Globally,
thermoplastic resins dominate plastic resin sales and production.
Pakistan possesses a narrow petrochemical base producing limited number of polymers
including Polystyrene (PS), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) and
Urea/Melamine Formaldehyde. An attempt to set up the first PVC plant in Pakistan was made
by the Federal Chemicals and Ceramics Corporation Limited (FCCCL) when it planned to set up
a 20,000 tons per annum capacity plant in Kala Shah Kaku way back in 1994. This plant,
unfortunately, did not come online. Later in 1999, Engro Chemicals through a joint venture with
Japanese company set up the first PVC plant in Pakistan.
At present, no facilities for the production of two basic polymers polyethylene and polypropylene
exist in the country with the result that these two constitute the bulk of Pakistan plastic resins
imports. Import of PE and PP during 2009 stood at 0.424 tons valuing $700 million constituting
76% of total plastics raw material imports. Pakistan annual consumption of plastic resins is over
one million tons and demand may further grow on the back of new developments in plastic
technologies and a rapidly expanding market for plastics due to its wider use and application in
the building and construction, transportation, packaging, electrical and electronics, furniture and
furnishings and household appliances industries.
Types of Plastic Resins and their uses
Plastic Resins and Codes Uses
1. Polyethylene Terephthalate
(PETE)
• Soda Bottles

4. • Water Bottles
• Shampoo Bottles
• Mouth wash Bottles
• Peanut butter jars
2. High Density Polyethylene
(HDPE
• Milk, Water and Juice Jugs
• Grocery Bags
3. Vinyl (V) • Clear Food Packaging
• Shampoo Bottles
4. Low Density Polyethylene • Bread Bags
• Frozen Food Bags
5. Polypropylene • Ketchup Bottles
• Yogurt and Margarine Bottles
6. Polystyrene • Meat Trays
• Cups and Plates
7. Other • 3 & 5 gallon bottles
• Ketchup
• Small juice Bottles
Resins Manufacturers
and their Production
Capacity in Pakistan
Company
Product capacity (Tons)
Novaltex PET 235,000
Engro Polymer and
Chemicals Ltd.
PVC 150,000

5. Pak Petrochemicals
Industries Ltd.
HIPS & PS 90,000
Dynea Pakistan Ltd. Urea & Melamine
Formaldehyde
34,000
Source: (http://dartways.com/print.php?pg=sectors&s=11)
Criticize of Plastic Production:
The plastic production can criticize by its pros and cos which are the fallowing:
Plastics, society, and the environment
Plastics have contributed to our quality of life in countless ways. Many products would be much
more expensive - or wouldn't exist - if it weren't for plastics. Yet, as with the use of any material,
there are environmental benefits and impacts.
Firstly, there is an environmental impact from plastics production; however the plastics industry
has worked hard to reduce energy and water use, as well as waste generation during the
manufacturing processes.
Secondly, during their lives, plastic products can save energy and reduce carbon dioxide
emissions in a variety of ways. For example, they're lightweight, so transporting them is energy
efficient. And plastic parts in cars and airplanes reduce the weight of those vehicles and
therefore less energy is needed to operate them and lower emissions are created.
Pros of plastic bags:
 They are convenient
They are durable and can be used more than once
They take up less space in a landfill than paper bags (Washington Post)
It takes 91% less energy to recycle a pound of plastic than it takes to recycle a pound of
paper. (Recycling rates of either type of disposable bag are extremely low, with rates of
10-15% for paper and 1-3% for plastic.)
 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used every year, worldwide
About 1 million plastic bags are used every minute.
A single plastic bag can take 20 to 1,000 years to degrade
The U.S. goes through 100 billion single-use plastic bags. This costs retailers about $4
billion a year
Plastic bags remain toxic even after they break down
Every square mile of ocean has about 46,000 pieces of plastic floating in it.
The average family accumulates 60 plastic bags in only four trips to the grocery store
Anywhere from .5% to 3% of all bags winds up recycled.
Ten percent of the plastic produced every year worldwide winds up in the ocean. 70% of
which finds its way to the ocean floor, where it will likely never degrade.

6. 80% of Americans choose Plastic over Paper.
100 billion plastic bags are thrown away in America each year.
12 million barrels of oil are needed for 100 billion bags
Plastic is one of the most used material these days. It is being used in almost every
industry. But along with its advantages, there are lot of disadvantages of plastic too.
Let’s take a look at the positive and negative effects of plastic.
Increasing usage of plastic
In our daily life, plastic made a considerable impact and we are heavily dependent on plastic.
Starting from daily usage utensils to decorative items all are coming in plastic. The usage of
plastic is increasing day by day and researchers are also trying to develop more durable, less
weight, strong plastic to meet today’s needs. The usage of plastic is increasing exponentially
from the last century. Records showed that the amount of plastic made in the first 10 years of
21st
century is equal to the amount of plastic made in the whole 20th
century. Generally, Plastic is
of two types i.e. high quality plastic and low quality plastic. High quality plastic is very strong and
is generally used for making products like cabins, mobile and laptop cases etc. Low quality
plastic is generally weak and is used for making utensils, vessels etc.
Positive impact of plastic
There are several advantages with plastic which can’t be compared with others. Plastic is highly
durable material and it lasts longer. Another positive thing about plastic is its ease in converting
to required shape. The weight of the plastic is very less and it is almost as strong as metals.
You can convert plastic into the shape you required and they look equally beautiful like glass or
other expensive materials. Unlike glass which has to be handled carefully, you can roughly use
plastic materials. One more advantage of plastic is it is recyclable. The wear and tear of plastic
parts is very less when compared to other materials available.
Negative impact of plastic
There are some negative things about plastic which has to be considered equally like
advantages. Plastic items can’t tolerate high temperatures and releases harmful gases (at high
temp.) which cause pollution. Plastic is not easily disposable and it will take thousands of years
to completely dispose in soil. This result in other harmful things like blockage of water (resulting
floods), death of animals, birds because of eating plastic etc. which are serious concerns of
several environmental activists. Even the process of making plastic by industries releases heavy
amounts of carbon dioxide.
Verdict
Finally, plastic is like a double edged sword and we must to use it carefully to avoid future
complications and environmental problems. Even methods suggested by plastic companies like
burying deep in the earth will also have its own implications on environment. So plastic
companies and plastic users have to use it cautiously. Plastic must be used according to our
needs but not for our luxuries.