THE USE OF PLASTIC — MADE MATERIAL IN OUR DAILY LIFE

Plastics are made by means of polymerization, which is arranged and formed by connecting the basic plastic materials called monomers. Plastics also insist on containing non-plastic substances called additives. Additives are needed to improve the properties of the plastic itself. The additives tend to consist of low molecular weight substances, dyes, antioxidants, traviolet light absorbent, anti-stick, and many more. Plastic is a good material. Material which from plastic is useful to our life. The example of plastic material : kid’s toy, plate, glass, plastic bag, straw, and any household furniture which from plastic material. Using plastic is so helpful. For example, in our married life, we tend to encounter objects made of plastic more often than items made of bamboo, paper, wood and other materials that we need to use in our daily lives.

Plastic material tend to give advantages to our life. The advantages of plastic material is strong, light, flexible, stainless, not easy to break, easily colored so that it adds traction, easily formed for various functions.

Beside the advantanges of plastic material, there is also the disadvantages of plastic material. The disadvantages of palstic material is some types of plastic can not stand the heat, some types of plastic take tens to hundreds of years to decompose naturally (non-biodegradable), if not mentioned according to function, the chemicals contained in plastics can be dangerous to health.

First, we talk about the advantages of using plastic-made material in our daily life. From economic point of view, plastic material is important in our daily life. Why? Because there a lot of our things in our daily life made from plastic. So, using plastic material is a fairness. The example of the advantages of using plastic-made material in our daily life is plastic is felt to be easier and more durable. People prefer to use household appliances made of plastic for their needs because plastic is felt to be easier and more durable. Besides the price that can be reached is one of the most compelling reasons why they prefer plastic. The closest example in life around us is in the dining room many times we meet about all plates, cups and bowls are made from plastic material. And many people enjoy using plastic material because when it falls it will not be destroyed and can be used for all kinds of objects. Many people suggest using palstic-made material in our life.

The second example is umbrella and rain coat. The basic material of umbrella and rain coat is plastic. Without plastic, we can’t make an umbrella and rain coat. Because the only think that can be an umbrella and rain coat is plastic material, because the material of plastic can protect our body from affected water.

Plastic is often used as packaging to secure food, drinks, and items from damage due to water, dust, or other objects that can cause damage to these things. Plastic packaging is used in the food supply chain because it helps secure long-distance food distribution and minimizes food waste by keeping food fresh for longer.

A review of research on food waste in 2016 found that 88 million tons of food is wasted every year in the European Union — that is 173 kilograms per person and equals about 20% of the food produced. Minimizing waste is very important for environmental protection and food security.

More than 50% of food waste is generated by households. Nearly 20% is discarded during processing. Plastic packaging seems to be needed to reduce the high level of waste in both areas. A number of factors must be taken into account when determining how useful plastic packaging is in the food supply chain, because its use has the potential to save food and prevent waste.

For example, using 1.5 grams of plastic film to wrap cucumbers can extend shelf life from three days to 14 days and selling wine in plastic bags or trays reduces wine wastage in stores by 20%. Much food is transported by air, so extending its shelf life has important environmental benefits. This minimizes waste and saves all the valuable resources involved from agriculture to your shelf. The latest estimates from Zero Waste Scotland show that the carbon footprint of food waste produced can actually be higher than plastic. Specifically, 456,000 tons of food waste produced by Scottish households was found to contribute to the production of around 1.9 million tons of CO₂, three times higher than the 224,000 tons produced by plastic waste.

Plastic packaging maintains food quality and safety. Foods that naturally have their own skin wrappers and can be safely transported and consumed without the need for disposable plastic packaging often attract attention. However, research shows that these products seem to survive only in short food supply chains. When food is transported from far away, in large quantities, plastic can play an important role in preventing spoilage. In addition, plastic packaging is more flexible and lighter than alternatives such as glass and cardboard. As a result, transportation costs and accompanying carbon emissions can be reduced.

Besides the advantages of the plastic above. Plastic also has disadvantages that can be detrimental as follows.

1. Difficult to parse
Plastic is made from materials derived from petroleum. These materials are difficult to decipher. As a result, new plastic decomposes after dozens, tens, up to hundreds of years.

2. Becoming a Dangerous Trash
Plastics that are difficult to decompose become hazardous waste for the environment. There are shaped plastic bags, plastic bottles, and so on.

3. Block the drains
When littered, plastic waste can clog the waterways. When it rains, clogged drains cause flooding.

4. Release of hazardous chemicals
If plastic waste is burned, plastic waste will release chemicals. These chemicals can pollute the soil and air. In fact, it is dangerous for human health.

5. Littering the Sea
Plastic thrown away carelessly, can be thrown into the river, until finally carried up to the sea. At sea, plastic trash pollutes the sea. Imagine, beautiful sea become dirty full of plastic garbage.

6. Threatening Animal Life
Sea animals such as sea turtles, seals, whales and others, think that plastic waste is food. They then eat it and eventually die. Seabirds also experience the same thing. Besides being eaten by animals, plastic waste can also make marine animals entangled. When tangled or tangled in plastic waste, marine animals cannot move, get injured, and eventually die.

7. Become a Pile of Trash
A study in 2010, noted that 8 million tons of plastic waste is discharged into the sea each year. Now, it is estimated to have increased to 20 million tons. In a 2010 study, Indonesia ranked second as the country that threw the most plastic waste into the sea. In 2014, approximately 280 million tons of plastic were produced in the world.
If it continues to multiply, it could be that, by 2050, there will be more plastic waste in the sea than fish.

Although non-toxic, plastic waste can cause soil pollution, in addition to eyesore. For that we need to think about how to reduce plastic waste. Some ways that can be taken in dealing with plastic waste as follows:

· Recycling, the most ideal handling of plastic waste is by recycling. However, it does not seem to be easy to carry out the recycling process through the stages of collection, separation (sorting), melting and re-forming. The most difficult stage is gathering and separation. You have seen scavengers picking up plastic bottles throughout the Jayapura City area.

From the results of the interview, these scavengers brought plastic bottles and then chopped them into small pieces using a machine, then when they were put in a lot of containers they continued send to Surabaya. If we see this as the potential of PAD, why don’t we create a plastic waste processing plant, we can buy the machinery and then we process it to the enumeration stage and then we sell it to the recycling plant, we can empower scavengers, aibon children and street children to gather these rubbish.

· Incineration, another way to deal with plastic waste is to burn it at high temperatures (incineration). Plastic waste has a high heating value, so it can be used for electricity generation. But combustion raises new problems, namely air pollution. Burning plastic such as PVC produces toxic HCl gas. We also have a habit of burning trash, did you know that burning plastic waste can produce dangerous toxic materials. Plastics contain hydrocarbon bonds. Hydrocarbons in the air will react with other materials to form new bonds called policylic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are widely available in industrial areas and traffic-dense areas. PAH bonding in the lungs can stimulate the growth of cancer cells.
Biodegradable plastic, about half of the use of plastic is for packaging. Very good if we use plastic that is bio- or photodegradable. Most biodegradable plastics are starch-based. Bioplastic waste in the soil will be eaten by microorganisms and completely destroyed within 80 days. Unfortunately this type of plastic is more expensive and it seems that people are lazy to pay more, people love their money more than they love the earth.

· Reuse or reuse, so this method emphasizes reuse, for example, we use re-bottled mineral water, for example you who have watched the ball in Mandala have seen people selling various colored syrups filled in used vit bottles for example like that. In addition, we can use this plastic waste to make various handicrafts that are of economic value, so it all depends on our ideas and creativity, of course, this attracts plastic waste to be overcome and we also get additional income. That which is called garbage can make money.