I write a post on this topic about once a year. They are scattered in my other blogs. These posts help me self-justify my use of plastics. When I saw the picture I thought… “This pellican has created a real big bill for the pollution clean-up!”
My main hobby today is 3D printing plastic products I design. It’s really enjoyable to take a product idea, create a 3D drawing, then create the actual item in plastic,
But I want to recognize and clearly state that I am absolutely aware and highly concerned about the world wide issue of plastic pollution in the environment, both on land and especially water.
We (humans) are a total curse to what we now like to call the “natural” bio-environment. An Earth without the presence of human activity would be a totally different world.
I can be glib and say that because we do exist as natural creatures on this planet, our effect on the environment is therefore completely natural. Think about it; it is an obvious true statement.
But, just because what we do is natural or part of our “human nature” doesn’t mean that it is good or desirable for all other existing life that lives here. Actually, our human produced pollutions (plastic and many other) is extremely dangerous to our own well being as well to all living organisms.
Our creation of a product we call “plastic” has many applied good uses in our daily lives, but has one serious fault. Most plastic is a “forever” non-natural material that doesn’t degrade back to its basic elements when it is discarded or left exposed to natural earth environment. It doesn’t “go away” with time.
I use one type of a “natural” base plastic for most of my projects that does decompose with time and exposure. It’s called Polylatic Acid or “PLA”. It’s created from natural living material like corn and sugar cane. It decomposes over time much like items made with wood.
I also choose and use synthetic plastic material that is much more durable for some of the long-term items I make. That occurs when the distructive effect of required exposure to weather, sunlight, or high temperature needs to be considered. I don’t want my item to decompose or warp.
I create with conventional synthetic-plastic because some items are intended to be durable and last a long time. I don’t ever create one-use throw-away plastic packaging items that are today’s primary source of plastic pollution.
Most of my creations are long life, art-craft heirloom quality, hand-downs for future generations of human owners to use, display or own and are usually made with eco-friendly PLA plastic wherever practical..
Again; I will design certain items or components for perhaps an industrial use like a machine tool part from a stronger, more durable plastic such as ABS, ASA or PETG, but it is never intended to be a throw-away after one use. It’s usually a permanent part intended for a long useful purpose. I have designed/built accessories for my 3D printing machines with these types of durable and higher temperature resistant plastic.
I have repeated myself.
Such use is a low percentage of my work. Perhaps 5 to 10 percent.
I agree 100% that earth has a serious human caused waste plastic pollution problem. The hobby 3D printing industry supply chain has made changes to reduce plastic waste. Most of he spools of FDM filament plastic (How they are packaged for printing use.) are now entirely bio-degradeable cardboard rather than throw-away plastic. Not all providers are 100%, but the major producers have changed. The laggers must follow.
I repeat. I am completely aware of the “plastic problem” and feel some stigma for creating with plastic material . However, I do not consider what I create to be a contribution to the environmental problem. Not all use of plastic is bad, nor are the long use products made from plastic bad. The serious problem is the one use throw-away plastics that circulate freely because they are not of any true value.
Recycling was falsely proclaimed as the great solution. Its a big bureaucratic boondoggle to sooth public concern. It simply is not long term economically viable. Most plastics CONNOT be recycled indefinitely back to original specification. Its’ quality degrades with each re-use.
Summary:
My personal solution is to use plastics only for production of durable goods. That is easy. The hard part is managing all the single-use plastic forced (mostly packaging materials) on me from all the other sources.
I do what I can, to not be the problem.
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