In 21st century plastic has become a part and parcel of our lives. There has been tremendous growth in the use of plastic, over the past few decades and it has become an indispensable part of human lives since its invention. The widespread use of plastic globally has raised various concerns regarding its hazards on the environment and human health. Therefore, it is important to understand that there are different types of plastics that exist and used for various functions.
Different types of plastics have been invented over a period of time depending upon its capacity and use. Some plastics like PVCs are used for commercial purposes like electrical wires, medical tubing owing to their strong tensile strength, high density and resistance to chemicals and alkalis.
Polymers like polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are majorly used for domestic purposes due to their anti-leaching properties and recycling capacities. Apart from these there are many other types of plastics like polypropylene which is majorly used in microwave containers, surgical and examination gloves, polystyrene which is used in insulations, protective packaging applications etc.
The most commonly used plastic for domestic use is PET. It is the key component of containers and packaging materials like tiffin boxes, water bottles, kitchen containers etc. Along with these applications it is also used in packaging of other consumer products, such as shampoo, liquid hand soap, mouthwash, household cleaners, dishwashing liquid, vitamins and personal care items.
PET is also the most preferred material when it comes to medicinal and pharma packaging as it does not interfere with the drug and does not change its properties.
In the course of time various types of plastics have evolved having different manufacturing processes and recycling properties. PET is the most efficient and safe form of plastic which is 100 % recyclable. A normal PET bottle of 0.5 litre is as strong to hold upto 50 times of its weight in water. Recycling of PET bottles is very energy efficient and one pound of PET bottle saves upto 26,000 BTUs of energy.
There are various myths and misunderstandings prevailing in the society on the use of plastics. Despite common misconceptions it is very important to understand the real properties and the usefulness of PET and other plastics before jumping to any conclusion.
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