In this blog post, we examine the value of plastic, which has driven the development of modern civilization, alongside the environmental problems it has caused, and consider the direction we should take moving forward.
Materials and Human Civilization
From prehistoric times to the present, civilization has developed at a dazzling pace. Human civilization has developed through the interplay of cultural, environmental, and technological elements. No single element can be deemed more important than the others; today’s civilization is the result of the complex interaction of diverse factors. However, this article will focus specifically on the technological element.
Humanity’s rise to its current dominant position on Earth is deeply linked to bipedalism. By walking on two legs, humans gained the freedom to use their hands to develop and utilize tools. Consequently, over time, this enabled them to ascend to the top of the food chain. If we define tools as ‘all artificially made objects we use for daily life,’ it becomes clear that the tools humanity has employed best illustrate the development of human civilization. Creating any tool requires materials with properties suitable for its purpose, and the development of new materials drives the creation of new tools. Therefore, the tools we have developed are intrinsically linked to the materials we have discovered and developed. Underlying the history of human civilization’s development lies the history of the materials humanity has developed.
The Impact of Plastic – A World Without Plastic
Imagine the following scenario: All clothing is made from 100% natural fibers like cotton or ramie. Every beverage and bottled water sold at convenience stores comes in glass bottles or cans. Most food ingredients, snacks, bread, and other processed foods are sold in paper bags. Children’s toys are mostly made of wood and metal, and Lego blocks do not exist. Anywhere in electronics requiring insulation is finished with glass or wood, resulting in poor durability. Wire coatings are made of natural rubber, which is difficult to process and has a high unit cost.
This is an arbitrary imagination of a world without plastic. According to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), plastic is defined as ‘a material primarily composed of polymers, which is shaped by flow at some point during the process of forming the final product.’ Therefore, synthetic fibers, which constitute the largest proportion of our clothing today, are plastics. PET bottles, plastic packaging for processed foods, LEGO blocks, circuit boards and insulators in electronics, and wire coatings all fall under the category of plastic. Even a cursory look at these examples reveals that modern civilization without plastic would be inconvenient in more than one way. In modern times, finding plastic objects is not difficult anywhere in civilized society; plastic already plays its role everywhere in our lives. A stark indicator of this is annual plastic consumption. In 1940, global plastic consumption was nearly zero, but by 2007, consumption reached 260 billion kilograms. Based on per capita consumption in the United States, this equates to over 140 kilograms of plastic used annually per person. Behind this explosive growth of the plastics industry lie several inherent characteristics of plastics.
Characteristics of Plastics
Among the characteristics of plastics, the most important ones include, first and foremost, cost-effectiveness. Plastic molecules are formed by the bonding of monomers, which are like building blocks. These monomers are byproducts of the petroleum industry, enabling low-cost supply. With inexpensive raw materials, plastic inherently has a low unit cost. Furthermore, its excellent moldability reduces manufacturing costs compared to other materials. The second characteristic is plastic’s superior physical properties. Plastics are generally lightweight yet possess considerable strength, making them impact-resistant. They also exhibit excellent corrosion resistance and chemical resistance. They also exhibit excellent electrical insulation, heat and cold resistance, and moisture and water resistance. The third reason is the diversity of plastic types. The monomers that compose plastic molecules are extremely varied. Therefore, the number of theoretically possible plastic types is countless, and each plastic possesses its own unique physical properties. Plastics are economical, possess outstanding physical properties, and are versatile in their applications. These characteristics of plastics also influence the cultural and environmental aspects of modern civilization.
The Impact of Plastics on Culture – The Culture of Consumption
Plastics offer exceptional cost-effectiveness, which directly enables the mass production of goods. Before the widespread use of plastics, consumption often carried a luxury connotation. Materials like ox horns or animal bones were widely used for hair combs, and billiard balls were made from ivory. Items we consume without a second thought today were often luxury goods back then. This relates to the scarcity of the materials themselves but also stems from the methods used to produce the goods. Products made individually by hand inevitably carry a much greater luxury character compared to those mass-produced in factories. Before plastic, consumption was a symbol of the upper class. With plastic’s widespread adoption, it became a cultural norm across all social strata. People became consumers, and easily buying, using, and discarding items became natural.
This shift coincided with the rise of disposable goods. Plastic’s affordability transformed our mindset by enabling us to use items meant for repeated daily use just once before discarding them. As the need to conserve resources diminished, consumption became more frequent and effortless, defining us as consumers. In modern society, consumption extends far beyond material goods. Today’s consumers consume all forms of content: books, TV shows, movies, music, webtoons, and more. ‘Consumption,’ which has already become a culture within modern civilization, was fundamentally a phenomenon made possible by the thickening of the consumer base. This is deeply linked to the advent of plastic, which enabled the mass production of goods.
The Impact of Plastic on the Environment – Environmental Pollution
One characteristic of plastic is its exceptional durability. It’s not just strong; it also resists corrosion, meaning it maintains consistent quality even after prolonged use. However, this very trait becomes a major problem when viewed from the opposite perspective. The material recycling rate for plastic is estimated to be around 30%. The remaining 70% of plastic waste ends up in landfills or is abandoned. Since it doesn’t decompose over time, it becomes a source of environmental pollution. To address these issues, eco-friendly plastics like biodegradable plastics are being researched. Meanwhile, projects are underway to collect plastic waste floating in the oceans, and policies encourage the separation and recycling of plastics. The popularization of consumption brought about by plastic’s emergence has resulted in an annual plastic consumption of 260 billion kilograms. The resulting environmental pollution issues directly and indirectly impact modern civilization. An estimated 700 million kilograms of plastic flow into the oceans annually, posing a serious threat to the ecosystems of marine life, including seabirds. This disruption of ecosystems is significant because, in the long term, it could become a major problem for us as well. Modern civilization has incorporated the theme of solving environmental pollution while charting its future development path.
Conclusion – Plastic and Modern Civilization
Economically, there is no viable substitute for PET bottles used as packaging for bottled water. Due to the excellent properties of synthetic fibers, most clothing today contains a high proportion of synthetic fibers, and these too are difficult to replace with other materials. Plastic, already widespread and firmly established in our society, has driven human civilization to its current position since its emergence. Mass production of goods through plastic use has provided everyone with the opportunity to become consumers. This has partially reduced disparities between social classes and influenced people’s behaviors. On the other hand, the explosive use of plastic has caused the problem of environmental pollution. This demands a future direction for us that allows development while protecting the environment. Thus, we can confirm that the cultural and environmental changes brought about by the development of plastic as a material have directly impacted human civilization. This description is not limited solely to plastic. The advancement of materials always influences the development of human civilization, and its impact is broader and deeper than we might imagine.
