Plastics are synthetic polymers that are durable, lightweight and inexpensive but have negative environmental impacts. When plastic products are discarded, they can pollute the environment for centuries and release toxic chemicals that are harmful to wildlife and human health. Common plastic items like bottles contain chemicals like BPA and phthalates that can leach out when the plastic breaks down and have been linked to health issues. Proper disposal and reducing plastic use can help minimize these problems.

1. Plastics & it’s impact
Md. Arifur Rahman Hera
Sr. Executive-R&D,
BFBIL

3.  The word plastic is derived from the Greek (plastikos)
meaning capable of being shaped or molded.
 Plastics are a range of synthetic or semi-synthetic polymerization
products that can be molded into a permanent object having the
property of plasticity.
 Plastic is a long chain like molecules(Polymars) made from
petroleum capable being molded, extruded or cast into various
shapes.
 The first plastic was invented in 1862 by Alexander Parkes.
 At first plastics could only be made in brown or black (Bakelite)
color.
 In 1930’s “Amino plastics' "had been invented which could be
made in lots of bright color.
About plastics….

4.  A plastic bottle is a rigid or semi-rigid container composed of plastic,
having a comparatively narrow neck or mouth but without any handle.
There is an opening on the top of the bottle which is fastened by a
cap.
 Plastic bottles are primarily used for storing liquids like water, milk,
cooking oil, medicine, and soft drinks.
 Plastic soda bottles first arrived in the market in the beginning of the
1970s, almost 200 years later than the discovery of plastic.
 In the past, plastics were derived from nature. It was not until the
1900s that the production of purely synthetic plastic has begun.
Plastic Bottles

5. About 100 million tones of plastic is produced each year.
Properties of Plastics
Resistant Durable Insulator Inexpensive
Easy to
produce
• Plastics are strong, light weight, flexible and durable.
• Plastics show superior optical properties(clarity, gloss and color).
• Plastics can be easily molded into a variety of shapes and sizes.
• Plastics have excellent mechanical strength (tensile properties, tear
resistance impact resistance).

6. TYPES OF PLASTIC PRODUCTS
 PLASTIC WATER POT
 PLASTIC CONTAINERS
 PLASTIC TIFFIN BOX
 PLASTIC BAGS
 PLASTIC FURNITURE
 PLASTIC SHEETS
 PLASTIC FITTINGS
 PLASTIC TOYS
 PLASTIC BUCKETS
 PLASTIC SANITARYWARE
 PLASTIC STATIONERY

7. Agriculture
7%
Transport
8%
Furniture/Housewar
e
8%
Electrical and Electronics
8%
Building and
Construction
23%
Packaging
35%
Footwear
1%
Medical
2%
Mechanical Engineering
2%
Toys/Sports
3%
Other
3%
Percentage of Plastic used in different fields
Plastics > Statistics

8. Classification
80% of the plastics produced are thermoplastics and of these Polyethylene, Polypropylene,
Polystyrene and Polyvinylchoride (PVC) are most commonly used (70%)
Thermoplastic
Thermosetting
• Plastics that do not undergo chemical
change in their composition when heated
and can be molded again and again.
• Thermosets are permanently "set" once
they're initially formed and can't be melted.

9. Reaction On Heating
Uses includes
plastic wrap, food
containers,
lighting panels,
garden hoses, and
the plastic bag.
Thermoplastic
Uses includes
kitchen tools,
glues, varnishes,
electronic
components
(circuit boards).
Thermoset

10. Categories of Plastics

11. Type Expansion Uses
#7 OTHER
#3 PVC
#4 LDPE
#5 PP
#6 PS
Polyethylene terephthalate
High-density polyethylene
Polyvinyl chloride
Low-density polyethylene
Polypropylene
Polystyrene
Plastic water bottle, cable warps,
polyester fabrics etc.
Bottles for milk and washing-up
liquids.
Food trays, bottles for squash, and
shampoo etc..
Carrier bags and bin liners etc.
Microwaveable meal trays, food
containers, Jar etc.
Pots, trays, boxes , cups, plastic
cutlery, packaging , toys etc.
#1 PET
Classification
#2 HDPE
Other some reusable water bottles, baby
bottles and some metal can linings.

12. Plastics those are Food Graded or not
 Standards for materials used in food applications may be determined by compliance agencies such as Health Canada or the United
States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or USFDA) where there are no regulations, standards setting organizations such as NSF
International and the American National Standards Institute have developed voluntary standards that are widely accepted throughout
the world.
 Food Grade Material Criteria
 appropriate for intended use; suitable for the activity
being conducted and the environment in which it is
being conducted
 non-toxic; surfaces and coatings are free of lead
solder, lead, and/or lead-containing alloys or other
toxic components likely to contaminate food
 non-porous/non-absorbent; to prevent contaminants
such as chemical residues, mould spores, etc. being
trapped/absorbed/transferred to sap or syrup
 smooth; surfaces are free from pitting, cracks,
crevices, open seams, holes, corrosion, loose scale,
peeling paint, etc.
 corrosion resistant in the intended end use
environment
 Food Grade Material Criteria
 inert; does not chemically react with, or
leach into maple products, does not react
with cleaning chemicals, etc.
 durable; able to withstand repeated cleaning
and sanitizing without surface degradation
 cleanable; does not harbour bacteria or
cleaning and/or sanitizing chemicals
 non-breakable; will not create a physical
hazard
 kept in good repair and properly maintained

13. Plastics those are Food Graded or not
 Food Grade Materials
 Stainless steel (as determined by NSF/ANSI 51, requires a minimum 16% chromium which includes SAE series 200,
300 or 400 series - 300 series is most commonly used in the food industry)
 Plastic recognized as food grade (meets compositional and purity standards, as well as established conditions of
use, determined by a compliance agency e.g. Health Canada)
 Aluminum (as determined by NSF/ANSI 51, only Alloy Series 1000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 may be used. Its use
is generally limited to sap buckets and 6000 series aluminum filter presses)
 Glass (as determined by NSF/ANSI 51, if not subjected to impact by hard objects during use)
 Filter fabric (meets voluntary national standards established by NSF/ANSI 42 & 53)
 Reverse Osmosis membrane (meets voluntary national standards established by NSF/ANSI 58)
 Diatomaceous earth (meets standards determined by a compliance agency e.g. Health Canada)
 Plastic piping and/or tubing (meets standards of NSF/ANSI 51 for food equipment materials
 Plastic tubing suitable for potable water (designated as NSF/ANSI 61 or NSF-PW)

14. Plastics those are Food Graded or not
 Non-Food Grade Materials
 Terneplate (a tin/lead alloy coating with up to 85 percent lead)
 Lead solder (a tin/lead alloy - may contain up to 60 percent lead)
 Non-food grade plastic (chemical composition and/or material purity not deemed acceptable by a
compliance agency e.g. Health Canada)
 Galvanized steel (a pure zinc coating) often associated with lead soldered seams in older
equipment, utensils and valves; standards set by the Manufacturers of Maple Sugaring Equipment
do not permit the use of galvanizing on any food contact surface
 Painted steel (may contain lead, peeling probable)
 Brass (a copper/zinc alloy) depending on its composition, may contain small quantities of
antimony, arsenic, phosphorus, manganese, silicon and up to 3.8 percent lead to improve
machinability - lead-free brass may be used only for connections and joints.

15. POLLUTANTS FROM PLASTIC

16. POLLUTANTS FROM PLASTIC
Plastics Release Pollutants:
•Poly brominated di-phenyl ethers (PBDE)
•Nonylphenolls
•Bisphenol A (BPA)
•Phthalates
Plastics Absorb Hydrophobic Pollutants:
•Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
•Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloro ethane (DDT)
•Dichloro Diphenyl Dichloro ethylene (DDE)
PVC when burned result in emissions of the deadly poisons named dioxin.
Dioxins are highly persistent compounds, with the potential to become increasingly
concentrated in living tissues as they move up the food chain. It is often considered to be the
man-made compound most toxic to animals.

17. Pollution due to plastic bottles & containers
Bisphenol –A & Phthalates
 Food and drinks stored in plastic bottles can contain trace amount of Bisphenol
A (BPA), a synthetic chemical that interferes with the body’s natural hormonal
messaging system.
 Repeated re-use of such bottles—which get dinged up through normal wear
and tear and while being washed—increases the chance that chemicals will leak
out of the tiny cracks and crevices that develop over time.
 BPA has been linked to breast and uterine cancer, an increased risk of
miscarriage, and decreased testosterone levels.
 A tin can that entered the ocean in 1986 is still decomposing in 2006 but a
plastic bottle that entered the ocean in 1986 is decomposing in 2436.

18. Pollution due to plastic bottles & containers
Bisphenol –A & Phthalates
 These chemicals are both shown to be potent hormone
disruptors and are increasingly linked to adverse health effects
like cancer, infertility, early puberty, obesity, behavior changes,
and reproductive system damages.
 A landmark report on BPA published in 2008 by the U.S. National
Toxicology Program concluded that there were concerns over
BPA’s effects on the brain, behaviour and prostate gland
development in foetuses, infants and children.
 meaning “one-time use”. So don't reuse single-use plastics.
They can break down and release chemicals into your food or
beverage when used repeatedly..
 A study has for the first time linked a common chemical used in
everyday products such as plastic drink containers and baby
bottles to health problems, specifically heart disease and
diabetes.

19. Impact on Environment
 Plastic is ever-present in our lives because it is
convenient and relatively inexpensive.
 Its convenience comes from being lightweight and its
ability to absorb impact shock without breaking.
 Plastics are so versatile in use that their impacts on
environment are extremely wide ranging, posing serious
challenge for disposal.
Careless disposal of plastic bags chokes drains, blocks the porosity of the soil, and causes
problems for groundwater recharge. Due to its non-biodegradable nature, littering of plastics
causes irreversible damage to the environment.

20. Disadvantages of Plastic Products
As many as 100,000 whales, turtles
and birds have been reported to die
every year, because of plastic in
environment.
Plastic not only have adverse effects
on our natural habitats, but have also
been found to be responsible for the
death of many animals, mainly on
account of the suffocation
encountered on eating them.

21. When plastic burned in
air it releases a host of
poisonous chemicals into
the air, including dioxin,
the most toxic substance
known to science.
Plastic when burn in air
1. Dioxins are found throughout the world in the environment and
they accumulate in the food chain, mainly in the fatty tissue of
animals.
2. Dioxins are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and
developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere
with hormones and also cause cancer.

22. Some recommendation for using plastics
 Don't microwave in plastic containers.
 Cover food in the microwave with a paper towel instead of plastic
wrap.
 Don't reuse single-use plastics (the number one – PET plastics). They
can break down and release plastics chemicals when used repeatedly.
 Do not use old, scratched plastic containers. Exposures to plastics
chemicals may be greater when the surface is worn down.
 Choose glass or BPA-free baby bottles with a clear silicone nipple.
 Avoid plastic to mouth contact, especially for babies and kids.

24. References:
1. http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/inspection/maple/mple-guidance-S1-1-
3.htm#1.3.2
2. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2157423/Poisoned-plastic-Chemicals-water-
bottles-food-packaging-linked-infertility-birth-defects-Scaremongering-truth.html
3. http://modernsurvivalblog.com/preps/safe-plastics-for-food-and-drink/
4. http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/problemswithplastics.htm
5. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-chemical-heart-idUSLF18683220080916
6. Google images