The essay discusses how plastics are made from oil and chemicals, the advantages of plastics being inexpensive and versatile compared to other materials, and the environmental issues caused by plastic waste not degrading and polluting oceans. It examines both sides of whether plastics should continue to be used or if alternatives should be researched further due to their environmental impacts.

1. Panyatree Kongkwanyuen
10R
Biology/Chemistry
Plastics Essay
Beijing BISS International School
School Code: 1123
Date Submitted: 12/3/12

2. Panyatree Kongkwanyuen
Criterion D: Reflecting on the impact of science
Level Descriptors Indicators
0 The student does not reach a standard
described by any of the descriptors below.
1 • The student is able to outline the ways in You outline how plastics are used and
which science is applied and used to made, and list the advantages and
address a specific problem or issue disadvantages to using plastics over other
• The student is able to outline the materials. You confused the advantages
implications of the use of science and its with disadvantages with implications.
application in solving a specific problem or You list an implication but do not describe
issue interacting with a factor in enough detail.
• The student attempts to apply scientific Your use of language is not appropriate.
language to communicate his or her Your essay is very difficult to read, you use
understanding but does so with limited first person pronouns consistently (I, we,
effectiveness they), your use of vocabulary and diagrams
• The student makes little attempt to is confusing.
document sources. You have listed sources, but no intext
references and/or the formatting is
incorrect.
2 • The student is able to identify the ways in You state and describe some aspects of
which science is applied and used to how plastics are used and made, and list the
address a specific problem or issue advantages and disadvantages to using
• The student is able to describe the plastics over other materials. You
implications of the use of science and its confused the advantages with
application in solving a specific problem or disadvantages with implications.
issue interacting with a You mention one implication, but your
Factor. essay does not provide evidence to support
• The student is able to apply scientific both sides of the equation.
language to communicate his or her Your use of language is sometimes
understanding but does not do so clearly or appropriate. Your grammar does interfere
precisely with your message quite often, you use first
• The student attempts to document sources person pronouns (I, we, they), your use of
correctly. vocabulary and diagrams is confusing.
You have documented your sources in your
works cited page, but have not included in
text references and/or your formatting is
incorrect.
3 • The student is able to describe the ways You describe how plastics are used, made
in which science is applied and used to and what the advantages and disadvantages
address a specific problem or issue to using plastics over other materials. You
do not confuse the advantages with
• The student is able to discuss the disadvantages with implications.
implications of the use of science and its You discuss one implication, but your
application in solving a specific problem or essay does not provide evidence to support
issue interacting with a factor both sides of the equation/or your evidence
• The student is able to apply scientific is weak.
language to communicate his or her Your use of language is mostly appropriate.
understanding clearly and precisely but Your grammar does interfere with your
does not do so consistently. message, you used some first person
• The student is able to document sources pronouns (I, we, they), your use of
but does not always do so correctly. vocabulary and diagrams does not always
add your communication

3. Panyatree Kongkwanyuen
You have documented your sources in your
works cited page, but have not included in
text references in all circumstances. There
might be some formatting errors
4 • The student is able to explain the ways in You explain how plastics are used, made
which science is applied and used to and what the advantages and disadvantages
address a specific problem or issue to using plastics over other materials. You
• The student is able to discuss and do not confuse the advantages with
evaluate the implications of the use of disadvantages with implications.
science and its application in solving a You picked only one implication to talk
specific problem or issue about. Your present both sides of the issue
interacting with a factor and back up each side with evidence. It is
• The student is able to consistently apply very clear that you have looked at both
scientific language to communicate sides of the issue.
his or her understanding clearly and Your use of language is appropriate. Your
precisely grammar does not interfere too much with
• The student is able to document sources your message, you limited your use of first
completely. person pronouns (I, we, they), your
vocabulary and use of diagrams add in
delivering your message
You have a complete work cited page and
all in text references are present, including
all diagrams used.

4. Panyatree Kongkwanyuen
Are Plastics the Future?
Did you know that plastics were first used to make billiard balls in 1896? Plastic,
being versatile, light weight, and strong has benefited society many ways. (Advantages of
Plastic Materials, 2010) Certainly a ubiquitous object, plastic can be found in everything
from the toys that children play with to the satellites they launch into space. Plastics are
used in everyday objects for their cheap production and versatility, but plastics are still
not the perfect material because it has created many environmental problems. This essay
will discuss the characteristics of plastic, how it is made, and the environmental issue that
involves plastics.
Plastic are usually made from oil (raw materials). It is mixed with chemicals and
heated to create a clear liquid. Once the liquid is dried, it turns into a solid and cannot be
turned back into a liquid again. The raw materials are mixed in gas and chemicals. These
turn into a mixture called resin. This resin is made into granules (small pieces of a
material). The resin granules are heated and become liquid. The liquid resin can be made
into any shape. For colour, plastic makers add special chemicals to the liquid resin.
Molding or casting (pouring the liquid into a mold) can shape plastic. The resin cools
down and goes hard in the shape of the mold. Chemicals can help harden the plastic.
(Barber, 1997)
All plastics do not have the same properties, each plastic have different types
because of the different purposes. Some seal in moisture or seal out air more effectively
than others. Some are stronger, some lighter, and some easier to work with and some are
more economical than other plastics to process. (Baid, 2009) However, there are two
main types of plastics: thermoplastic and thermosetting. Thermoplastics are easily
renewable. Heating can melt thermoplastics. They can be melted down and create new
plastics. Examples of thermoplastics are: polyethylene (used for plastic bags, food
containers, and other packaging,) and acrylic (most commonly used for acrylic paint) On
the other hand, thermosetting plastics stay in shape and stays hard when heated. If they
are heated to higher temperature, they will burn. These plastics take longer to recycle.

5. Panyatree Kongkwanyuen
Thermosetting plastics are used to make things like electrical fittings so they will not melt
when they get hot. Another great use for plastic is laminating. Layers of plastic can be
squashed onto other materials to make them stronger. With how much plastic can do,
there are definitely more advantages.
Using plastics is beneficial; recently they have been used as a cheaper alternative
for metal and wood. The production price of plastic is fairly cheap compared to the
production of wood and metal where wood is grown, harvested and cut and metal is
mined and forged. For plastics, only liquid chemicals are needed to create plastics. No
matter what type of metal or plastic materials there are, metals will always be more
expensive. For example the roofing copper costs $2.45/lb while polypropylene, a
thermoplastic polymer that replaces most of the metal materials, costs $.165/lb. (Scrap
Metals and Plastics International, 2012)
Another great benefit is the versatility of plastics. They can be molded into any
shape and by using different chemicals; they can be made for different purposes. Plastic
products are cheaper mainly because the materials are cheap.
Overall, these benefits have helped society in many ways. For example, plastics
have helped aeronautics technology take a huge leap forward over the past 50 years,
including advancements in satellites, shuttles, aircraft, and missiles. As a result, civilian air
travel has improved, as well as military air power and space exploration. In addition, the
building and construction, electronics, packaging, and transportation industries have all
benefited greatly from plastic. (The Benefits of Plastic, 2012)
With plenty of good reasons to use plastics, there are only little disadvantages.
However, these disadvantages are a greater threat to the environment and are equally
weighed with the benefits of plastics. Most plastics are not biodegradable. For
thermoplastics, they can be heated up and turned into new plastics again. The new
plastics will become non – recyclable products, such as T-shirts, or plastic lumber. This
means more new raw materials are needed to create more plastics that are recyclable.
The average plastic bottle takes 500 years to decompose. Though the rate of plastic
decomposition can be affected by different factors such as: the type of plastic, climate and

6. Panyatree Kongkwanyuen
acids in landfill. When these plastics are degraded, they emit harmful Co2 and methane,
which is dangerous to both humans and animals. This has caused environmental
problems in our society.
Most plastics are made of crude oil; oil is a non-renewable resource, which means
that it will eventually be used up. The raw materials that will eventually be used up can
be used for other numerous things. (E.g. Natural gas can be used to heat houses and cook
food) but we are using them on making plastics more. Bio plastics have become an
alternative that does not depend on oil. One example of bio plastics is corn plastic, made
out of corn. Corn can be cultivated worldwide and so the market value will not depend
on oil-rich nations. The United States uses 20.8 million barrels of oil per day, 10 percent
of which goes solely to the production of conventional plastic such as polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) (CIA World Fact Book, 2010) Corn plastic, however, do not require
oil plus, they release less toxins and green house gases. (Lamb, No date) With such a great
alternative, why won't we all use such material? Because there are still some properties
that corn plastic lack. Firstly, corn plastic cannot be recycled together with conventional
plastics seeing that a relatively small amount of bio plastic can contaminate conventional
plastic recycling, preventing the reuse of conventional plastic. Secondly, corn plastic is
depending on industrial farming. The corn that is cultivated is for the people and animals.
Much of the corn that is used to make this plastic is food for animals. (Lamb, No date)
An environmental problem is one of the most significant problems associated with
plastics is the improper disposal of plastic goods by consumers. The use of plastics has
enabled the development of innumerable disposable products, which has increased the
amount of trash that is disposed. Although paper accounts for most of the trash in landfills
by volume, plastics account for 25% of all waste in landfills when buried. A significant
amount of plastic, however, is not properly disposed in landfills and makes its way into
the environment. (The Environmental Literacy Council – Plastics, 2008) As mentioned
before, plastic does not biodegrade quickly, thus staying in environment for a long time.
Plastic trash has made its way to coastal ecosystems and the ocean, causing danger to
marine and birdlife. Plastic debris can be found in many coastal areas (as well as inland);

7. Panyatree Kongkwanyuen
however, one of the greatest concentrations of plastic trash is a Texas-sized floating
island of plastic debris in the north Pacific gyre, a collection of trash that has been swept
together by ocean currents. The ocean currents collect floating garbage along the way
and drops it in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, one of several major ocean vortices in
the world (below) Eventually, all the trash are packed into a convergence zone that links
two eastern and western garbage patches creating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
(McLendon, 2010)
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
McLendon, Russell. "What is the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch? | MNN - Mother Nature
Network." Environmental News and Information | MNN - Mother Nature Network. N.p., 24 Feb. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/what-is-the-great-pacific-ocean-garbage-patch>.
Nevertheless, plastic has become an important resource for industrial
development. We cannot just simply stop using plastics because it has continued to show
that it is a safe and reliable alternative to more traditional materials like wood and metal.
(Baid, 2009) Plastics certainly have many benefits but the environmental issues plastics
have caused have balanced out, whether we should continue to use plastics or not. In my
opinion, we should continue to research on effective and useful alternatives for plastics. If
they became an alternative for metal and wood, why can’t we find another alternative for
plastic?

8. Panyatree Kongkwanyuen
Works Cited
" - Plastic Marine Litter." Plastic Marine Litter - Plastics do not belong in the oceans. N.p., n.d.
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<http://agl.groupbg.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=39
&Itemid=57&lang=en>.
Amaral, Kimberly. "Plastics in Our Oceans." Home : Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.whoi.edu/science/B/people/kamaral/plasticsarticle.html>.
Baid, Pankaj. "Plastics Disadvantages & Recycling." Upload & Share PowerPoint presentations
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<http://www.slideshare.net/pankajbaid17/plastics-disadvantages-recycling>.
Barber, Nicola. "Plastics." Materials. London: Evans, 1997. 20. Print.
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vironment-75598>.
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<http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/corn-
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Langley, Andrew. Everyday Materials PLASTIC. London: Crabtree Publishing Company,
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patch>.

9. Panyatree Kongkwanyuen
"SCRAP METAL NEWS DAILY." SCRAP METALS AND PLASTICS
INTERNATIONAL. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.
<http://scrapmetalsandplastics.com/default.aspx>.
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<http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/1188.php>.
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<http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/1188.php>.
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