Plastik ist besser als sein Ruf
Without plastics the modern world would look decidedly different. Plastic packaging is significantly lighter than other materials—the weight of a one-litre plastic bottle is just 5% that of a glass one; a paper bag is nearly six times heavier than a plastic one (and takes three times as much energy to produce). Using cans or glass bottles for soft drinks results in greenhouse-gas emissions two and three times higher respectively than using plastic, even taking recycling into account.
Lightweight, airtight plastic containers allow luxuries like Argentine beef to be sold cheaply in British supermarkets. But they also facilitate the transport and storage of essentials like rice, cooking oil and powdered milk in poor countries, where refrigeration is scarce and roads are poor. Doing away with them would make global trade so much more fuel-intensive and expensive that much of it might disappear.
In construction, PVC pipes and plastic-based insulation materials have reduced the cost of building and maintaining homes, making housing more affordable. Plastic casings and circuit components are needed to make mobile phones, laptops and fibre-optic cables. In health care, single-use plastic syringes and protective equipment, such as gloves and masks, are crucial for infection control.
Der Our World In Data Beitrag dazu ist auch super.