Did you know that plastic can help preserve natural resources?

Most of us already know that, for society, the benefits of plastics are far beyond making day-to-day life more practical. There are so many and varied applications of plastic which are present today in almost all sectors of the economy, even contributing to the preservation of the environment.

Preventing soil contamination, avoiding erosion, channeling sewage, preserving water, and making cars less polluting are just some of the important benefits of plastics to the conservation of the planet’s natural resources. In other words, the production and use of plastics are beneficial, because the environmental balance is positive.

A sustainability consultancy called Denkstatt has found that most plastic products require less energy to manufacture than some alternative materials, and above all, currently save the energy equivalent of 53 million tons of fossil fuel. In other words, plastics contribute and will continue to contribute to the planet’s energy efficiency in various ways, such as in packaging, in the automotive industry and in civil construction.

The same study mentioned above concluded that if all the plastic solutions available on the market were used today, we would save the emission of 12 tons of CO2 for every ton of CO2 invested in the production of plastic, that is, a ratio of 12:1. All this due to its lightness, durability and other properties that allow its use in different segments.

Another piece of information that many people don’t know: plastic also protects the soil and groundwater. The base of a landfill is covered with plastic. One blanket is placed for every 5 meters of garbage accumulated vertically and is present in all landfills, preventing the leachate produced from infiltrating the soil and reaching the groundwater.

If consumers stop to analyze, the ” disadvantages” of plastic use are directly related to human actions, especially the population that does not adequately dispose of the post-consumption material.

The plastics production chain makes a decisive contribution to sustainable development, helping to conserve natural resources, improving people’s quality of life and contributing to economic growth. In order for these benefits to not result in harmful trade-offs for the environment it is increasingly necessary to invest in recycling, since most plastics are recyclable.

Followed by information, awareness, and changes in simple habits, recycling is fundamental for plastic to continue benefiting society and the environment, without harming the planet as a whole.

Check out other articles about plastic here on our Blog.