Written by Corinne Newman
Last time, we had a brief overview of the issues with plastics at large. Today we’re going to touch on specific harm that is often overlooked. How the very creation of plastics, not its waste, is harming people and the environment.
Working in a plastic-producing factory is a high health risk job. At nearly every stage of plastic production, there is exposure to toxic chemical fumes. Inhalation of the chemicals involved can result in serious respiratory health issues such as a buildup of fluid in the lungs, the destruction of cilia—small hair-like structures that help you breathe, chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and respiratory distress. The heavy exposure to chemicals isn’t the only part of the job that can cause this kind of harm, the large amount of plastic particles that create dust in the factory can too. Not only can this dust be inhaled, but it can accidentally be rubbed into the eyes and skin of a worker, causing further irritation and harm.
There should be strict regulations that prevent these health risks from occurring. Things such as proper personal protection equipment and fume vacs are great ways to minimize these risks. But the world of plastic production is murky. China produces the largest amount of plastic per region at 32% with North America in second at 18%. In both regions, there aren’t many laws that target plastic production specifically, and both regions aren’t known for their great enforcement of worker safety regulations.
The global production of plastics has ramped up significantly since they were first introduced. In 2021, 390.7 million metric tons of plastic was created worldwide. Compared to just 100 million metric tons in 1989. What had originally been a venture to find a purpose for the leftover material in mining fossil fuels has become one of the main motivations to continue mining. The very production of plastic, not just its waste after use, causes significant harm to the environment. Mining of fossil fuels for the creation of these plastics adds to the production of harmful greenhouse gasses. As well as the loosely followed rules regarding the waste that comes from the production itself. Water used in the process of creating plastic is contaminated with lots of microplastics and often gets dumped into the natural water system to infect the environment and choke out wildlife.
Finding solutions to plastic pollution and cleaner ways to recycle is extremely important. It is a necessity at this point in our world. But it shouldn’t be the singular focus when trying to curve the negative effects of plastics. The very production and creation need to be looked at closely and heavily regulated as well. For the sake of the people who are directly impacted by the factories, and the environment.