Several Materials that Plastic Has Replaced

Plastic. The word itself has received a lot of bad rep from the masses. From environmental to health issues, it seems that plastic has never even had a break. This is not to undermine the efforts of these people; this is just to present some benefits of using plastic properly.

Well, what is plastic? This is a general term for many kinds of material that is made from organic compounds. There are natural “plastics” out there like resin and they are still used today. However, when the first man made plastic was invented, it caused a lot of things to change. For one part, it was more affordable to make than any kind of raw material available during that time. It has so many uses from making food containers to supporting the foundations of buildings. It is such a great inventions and humans are hard pressed in finding an alternative for it. It has also saved us from using up materials like:

1. Wood

This material has already been used from time immemorial. Ever since humanity has discovered metals, it has already been used to chop wood. Whether it is kept and used as bonfire or basic housing, wood has always been a good material. It is also quite sturdy and can withstand considerable force. Wood-made materials were also found to be long lasting; most of the ships in the ancient times were made out of wood and some of them can still be found today. However, as the awareness for our forest increased, the movement to withdraw from using wood has also risen. What material could replace such an essential item? That is right, plastic was used instead. To minimize the wood consumption, most of the things that was supposed to be made of wood was replaced by plastic. From furniture to simple equipment like utensils, plastic became the alternative solution. It could even last way longer than wood, so it is a plus.

1. Horn

Many bones of animals were used by humans in a variety of ways. Jewelries, drinking horns, combs and other decorative materials were made from animal horns back then. This led to the extinction of some animals like some species of rhinoceros. It has become quite alarming to the point that many animal rights groups were formed for the protection of these species. Thus, many people turned to plastic to be used to form these ornaments. It is not as expensive as the ones made from horn, and it benefits many animals.

1. Metal

For so many years metal has been used to create a lot of things. With its durability and availability in the natural environment, this has been used by humans ever since the dawn of mankind. However, one of the issues that were pointed out from using this material is that it can be heavy. In comparison, plastic has almost comparable durability, flexibility and is lighter compared to metal. It is also more affordable. Thus, many tools that we use today are made of plastic instead of metal.