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How safe is Plastic Recycling and Reuse

By Thadeus Obadha Odenyo

https://healthfirst.brick.site/

Plastics are synthetic polymers that are used in manufacturing various items. At the same time, plastics have been employed for various domestic and industrial applications. Recycling is the use of materials after remodeling to form the same type of product or different products whereas to reuse is to use again. We now need to understand what goes into making plastics. Apart from the polymerization that births plastic, there are chemical substances that are used to reinforce and protect plastics. Unfortunately, all the chemicals that are used are known to have harmful properties. Some of the substances are genotoxic, teratogenic, and mutagenic. Generally, it is agreed that most of the substances that are listed as constituents of plastics are harmful to human and animal health and wellbeing.

Plastics are ubiquitous

It is however not clear how fast the impacts of plastic toxicants on human and animal health become evident. This is a worrying reality as available evidence suggests that plastics are associated with various carcinogenic exposures. Even more unsettling is the fact that plastics are ubiquitous finding use in every sector of human life and economy. Plastics have made a major contribution to many economies and continue to do so even as we worry about what, how, when, and where about the plastic material. The journey of plastics from the date of manufacture to the time of reuse or recycling is determined by the quality of plastic material and how it has been handled throughout its lifespan.

Multiple use plastics

Plastics suffer injury and damage which may expose the user to the chemicals that are used to enhance the aesthetics, strength, and heat resistance. Single-use plastics are less likely to experience the physicochemical and biological bombardments that durable/multiple-use plastics bear. At the same time, it is the durable plastics that are reinforced with chemicals to enhance strength and resist ultra violet energy-driven disintegration. Therefore, it is the durable plastics that are dangerous as vectors that sequester carcinogenic materials. In the domestic settings items that are used include utensils and furniture as well as bathroom and bedroom adornments. As such plastics that contain toxicants are found in every area of life. This situation is more serious in low- and middle-income countries where plastics are used even beyond their safe lifespan. As such the exposure levels appear to be quite high. However, there is a lack of evidence on the extent of exposure and characterization of such exposure. The plastic puzzle is further compounded by the long latency period associated with plastic toxicant caused diseases.

Call to action

Recycling plastics is one of the recommended ways of dealing with the global problem of plastics. However, recycling may increase the injury and damage that plastics sustain. As such continued use may only increase the leaching and migration of plastic toxicants into the ambience. Scientists have suggested that there are many impacts that plastic toxicants may have on plant and animal life, nevertheless, the magnitude of such impacts remains to be seen. In terms of recycling, plastics are remodeled into the same or new products, nonetheless, the handling of plastic materials before recycling may be cause for concern. This may be due to the state of the plastics as they are prepared for recycling. The plastic problem warrants declaration of the expiry date and display of relevant information regarding the safety and how to use plastics to avoid chemical harm. The balance between life and livelihood is delicate, with moral and practical implications.

Either way, the choice that is made regarding plastic management is a sacrifice that humanity must of necessity undertake. Is it survival or salubrity? The choice is clear. We must make a choice.

         

 Recommended Further Reading


https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Guides/Home/The-Inside-Story-A-Guide-to-Indoor-Air-Quality


https://www.lung.org/clean-air/at-home/indoor-air-pollutants

 

Comments

  1. Thadeus Obadha OdenyoAugust 10, 2023 at 10:37 AM

    Today Hawaii is in crisis. so far, the extreme weather patterns, wet and dry have featured in Europe and the USA at the same time.

    ReplyDelete

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