Plastic: The Hero We Love to Hate, but Can't Live Without

Plastic - it's everywhere, it's convenient, and yet it's the ultimate environmental villain. But what if I told you that plastic is actually the hero we need in our daily lives?

Before plastic, life was more inconvenient and less safe. Can you imagine a nurse coming at you with a rusty old syringe from the 1800s? No, thank you! But with plastic, everything changed. Plastic medical devices, including syringes, are clean, safe, and reliable. In fact, more than 70% of consumable medical devices are made of plastic, and over 300 billion plastic parts are used in consumable medical devices each year globally. Without plastic, medical procedures would be more complicated, more expensive, and more dangerous.

But plastic's benefits extend beyond the medical industry. Plastic packaging, particularly polyethylene terephthalate, also known as PET the #1 plastic, prolongs the shelf life of food, reduces food waste, and minimizes the burden on the supply chain and environment. Just 1.5g of plastic extends a cucumber's shelf life to 14 days, and packaging can reduce food waste by more than 30% compared to non-packaged food. Without plastic, we would be throwing away a lot more food, and nobody wants that.

And let's not forget about natural disasters. Hurricanes, earthquakes, and other crises can leave us without access to clean drinking water. But fear not, because plastic water bottles are here to save the day. Clean, safe water is a critical need for citizens and first responders immediately following a natural disaster or other catastrophic event. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the U.S. has more than 18,000,000 liters of bottled water across its distribution centers, providing life-saving hydration to those in need.

The current lived realities that are often overlooked, but that are faced everyday by developing countries, Indigenous communities, and remote and isolated communities, include a reliance on bottled or pouched water as their only source of clean, safe drinking water.

But what about recycling? PET plastic can be 100% recycled, which means that by using plastic responsibly and recycling it, we can enjoy its benefits while also reducing the burden on the planet. And we all agree that plastic does not belong in the environment. But it does belong in the economy because of the critical role it serves in preserving and protecting us, our food, and our families.

So, next time you see plastic, remember that it's not the villain it's made out to be. Plastic is the hero we love to hate but can't live without. It has made our lives more convenient, more efficient, and more safe. So, let's give plastic the credit it deserves as the unsung hero of our daily lives. ✌