How Plastic Benefits Humankind

How Plastic Benefits Humankind

Plastic was invented nearly one hundred- fifty years ago in 1860 by a man named Alexander Parkes. This material is made from petroleum “(a liquid fossil fuel which is formed underground) (Wiki Answers 1).”Plastic has been proving very useful the past few decades by making products more cost and energy efficient. By having plastic in everyday life, it proves very beneficial to humankind. From everyday products to products that enhance medical capabilities. Plastic proves beneficial to humankind by being more versatile compared to other packaging materials, by improving everyday products, and playing an important role in today’s technologically advanced products.
When a product needs to be light weight, cost efficient, or energy efficient or even all of the above at once, plastic can play the role and get the job done. Plastic can give more beverage with less packaging than other materials, make food packaging more efficient, and eliminates the need for excessive packaging.   In thing as simple as a bottle of water, plastic proves beneficial by being shatter or explosion resistant, light weight and cost little to none to manufacture. “Just two pounds of plastic can deliver one thousand ounces or about eight gallons of a beverage such as water, juices, or sodas. To get the same results, three pounds of aluminum would be needed to get the same amount, eight pounds of steel or an amazing twenty- seven pounds of glass (Killinger 1).” In the famous saying “Paper or Plastic,” Plastic proves more beneficial to humankind because it requires less total energy to make. Once again by plastic being more cost and energy efficient. With plastic being easier to manufacture, it in return makes more with less.
Plastic also can make more expensive products cheaper by substituting certain components in it. This in return improves the effectiveness of everyday products. Like stainless steel writing pens, they have the almost exact same functionality of a plastic pen but...