The history of plastics production

From a historical viewpoint, the development of plastics can be regarded as one of
the most important technical achievements of the twentieth century. In just 50 years
plastics have permeated virtually every aspect of daily life, paving the way for new
inventions, and replacing materials in existing products. Plastics are light, durable
and versatile, and are now used in countless applications. The success of these
materials has been based on their properties of resilience, resistance to moisture,
chemicals and photo- and biodegradation, their stability, and the fact that they can be
moulded into any desired form.
The plastics industry is relatively young. The first plastics were produced at the turn
of the century, and were based mainly on natural raw materials. Only in 1930 were
(thermo)plastics, made from the basic materials styrene, vinyl chloride and ethylene,
introduced onto the market. But the main growth of the plastics industry did not take
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place before the 1960s, reaching a peak in 1973, when production reached over 40
million tonnes per year.37 Following a temporary drop in production during the oil
crisis and the economic recession in the beginning of the 1980s, the world production
of plastics continued to increase, to approximately 77 million tonnes in 1986,37 and 86
million tonnes in 1990.38 Figure 1-1 shows the rapid development of plastics
production worldwide, which now far exceeds the combined production of non-ferrous
metals such as aluminium, zinc, lead and copper.
Figure 1-1: Development of plastics production worldwide. see picture
Source: Schouten,38 1991.


The major producers and consumers of plastic materials are North America, Western
Europe and Japan. Currently, about three-quarters of the world’s plastics are
produced in these regions.24 Table 1-1 gives an indication of the shares of plastics
production in the main world regions in the late 1980s. It can be seen that the share
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of "other" countries, which include the whole of Africa, is small, even compared with
countries in Central and South America and in Asia. However, considerable changes
are taking place.37 Western Europe’s share of production is in decline, and capacity
plans indicate that the shares of Asia (excluding Japan), Central and South America
and the Middle East will increase rapidly at the expense of the traditional producers.24
Table 1-1: Location of world plastics production in the late 1980s (%).
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North America 32.0
Western Europe 31.2
Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union 12.3
Japan 11.7
Other Asian countries (excluding Japan) 6.9
Central and South America 4.3
Other 1.6
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Source: Johnson,24 1990.
In contrast with most African countries, which import plastics, Egypt has rapidly
increased its output of plastics, largely as a result of the government’s policy to
encourage domestic production. The total value of the plastics produced in Egypt
increased from $18.5 million in 1979 to more than $200 million in 1991. A part of this
output is exported, and total export earnings rose from about $0.5 million in the early
1980s, to more than $60 million in 1990.17
The growth of plastics production has also brought about an increase in waste
production. The very properties that made plastics so attractive are now also
regarded as disadvantages, especially in the industrialized countries. There are very
few environmentally sound methods of disposing of plastics; most resist decay so
well that it will take centuries for them to break down naturally. Because of their light
weight, transportation costs of plastics are relatively high. Also, the huge amount of
different plastic types has made sorting a difficult process. For these reasons, the
recycling of used plastics into new products has been slower to become established
than of some other waste materials such as paper or glass.

I AM DYING, SO YOU ARE

I am dying, you are dying
And am not lying neither am I flying
But none is caring

I walk through the streets of Accra and I feel like crying
The gutters are choked and have stopped flowing
The stench from them is appalling
The sights; the least appealing
Black and white is the colouring
And the substance is plastic bagging
Our beloved country is choking;

Choking under huge plastic waste
Everything is plastic ranging from pure water to tooth paste
From what we wear to what we taste.

People walk empty hands into shops and return with plastic bags
‘Cos they are the cheapest of packaging for a mag
The leading perpetrators of the disaster are pure water bags
You see them everywhere even on facebook, tagged

We are suffocating, choking and dying
Under loads of waste that are not deteriorating.
It is our earth that is suffering and depleting

I am dying, you are dying and none is caring.
We are dying younger and our bodies are tearing
With diseases from gutters that are stinking
All because we litter our streets with plastic
Which no one cares to pick.



By Borsone Isaac (Inspired by my desire to reduce plastic waste in our Country)

I have Reduced Plastic Waste by something percent

I have resorted to doing the following in my bid to reduce plastic waste

1. I have refused to collect ‘take away’ rubber bags as packaging materials for anything I buy. Except in very peculiar cases thus when the items I buy are so much and am not carrying my cotton bag.
2. I have acquired a cotton material bag for buying food stuff from the market. Thanks to my sister. (Guess what? The market women tell me my ‘eye open’, in twi, when anytime I come with the bag). The bag is very neat and presentable.
3. I have resorted to no more buying ‘pure water’ I take coconut juice instead. I drink enough water where I spend most of my time. Thus in the office
4. I buy drinks in cans, cartons and in bottles but not those in Plastic bottles
5. I have separate bins for my trash; one for plastics and one for the rest.

Do not worry about what impact your singular act will make. The aim is to reduce the waste. So with you practicing the above we have achieved marginal reduction.

Let me know when you are practicing these things. Write a note on my blog

Veep's Action against plastic waste

Accra, July 16, GNA - Vice President Aliu Mahama, on Friday, launched a National Plastic Waste Management Programme and called for a collective societal effort to stem the increasing environmental, aesthetic and health hazards posed by plastic waste.

He, however, warned that drastic measures would be applied against polluters who would fail to cooperate and tasked agencies responsible for the enforcement of regulations and bye-laws to rise up to their responsibilities.

"The public health of society is being threatened seriously and it can not be compromised any longer to hold this nation back," he stressed and urged the media, educational institutions and stakeholders in the plastic industry to assist in the campaign.

Vice President Mahama cautioned: "The alternative, I am afraid, is to completely ban the production and importation of plastics, which will be a very painful action, considering the plight of industry and employment. This is avoidable, only if we collectively pledge to tackle the menace head on."

He advised district assemblies, religious groups and educational institutions to set aside at least one day in a month to clear their habitat of waste in line with the Campaign for Greater Discipline. Over the past years, plastics have replaced leaves, glass, metal and other materials as a cheaper and more effective means of carrying, storing and preserving water, food and other products.

However, the poor management and disposal of plastic products that are non bio-degradable have brought difficult challenges as plastic waste have littered all corners of the country, heaped at refuse dumps, choked drains, polluted the beaches and the deep sea and reduced soil fertility.

At present, only two per cent of the 270 tonnes of plastic waste generated daily in Accra is recycled, while it cost the Accra Metropolitan Assembly 2.2 billion a month to clean the city of Accra. The 13.5 billion cedi-programme, therefore, aims at transforming the difficulties into opportunities for recycling with its associated benefits of a healthy and sound environment for both locals and tourists, job creation and the saving of foreign exchange.

The National Plastic Waste Task Force, which comprise representatives of plastic waste importers, producers, users and supported by the Ministries of Local Government and Rural Development, Environment and Science and Trade, Industry and President's Special Initiatives, would prosecute the programme.

Scheduled to begin this month, the first phase of the three-year programme involves the collection and recycling of plastic waste in the various cities of the country; and the mounting of educational activities, particularly targeted at children to change their attitude to littering the environment.

A special pilot phase, which would be tested in the Ashiedu Keteke and Osu Klottey Sub-Metros in Accra, would use 20 paid refuse collectors in each of the areas to mobilise waste from house to house. Additionally, commercial drivers and their mates would be paid to collect plastic waste from their passengers.

The programme would be extended nationwide at the beginning of next year for the second phase.

Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, announced that 150 tractors and 1,000 communal refuse containers had been procured to be distributed to its agencies to assist in waste management.

He described the sanitation situation as unacceptable, disclosing that annual solid waste production exceeded one million tonnes. Only a third of the quantity, he said, was collected with the remaining two thirds left to impact negatively on the environment and public health.

"The situation is even more alarming with only about 40 per cent of urban and 15 per cent of rural dwellers having acceptable domestic toilets. Some 15 per cent of urban dwellers still use pan latrines and majority of people depend on unsanitary public toilets," he stated. As part of efforts to solve the sanitation problem, Mr Adjei-Darko said the Ministry would revive and expand the membership of the National Environmental Sanitation Policy Coordinating Council to help to deal with issue on a multi-sectoral basis.

Five engineered landfills and waste stabilisation ponds are under construction in Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Tamale and Tema under the Urban Environmental Sanitation Project, he added.

He disclosed that a community house-to-house waste collection programme would soon begin on a pilot basis in Accra using young people with specially designed pushcarts.

The Minister of Tourism and Modernization of the Capital City, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, complained that the plastic waste menace would deter tourists who would consider Ghana as a filthy nation.

He said: "plastic waste has a terrible impact on tourism, particularly on the beaches along the eastern-part of Accra, which are at the receiving point of waste that are carried by rain waters from especially the Korle Lagoon."

He said the fishes in the sea were also affected as they swallow the plastic waste carried into the deep sea, thus killing many of them. Mr Alan Kyeremanten, Minister of Trade, Industry and President's Special Initiative (PSI), who chaired the function, urged all to help wage war against plastic waste, which he described as "Ghana's number one public enemy."

Over 400 million cedis was raised as start-up capital for the Campaign with Vice President Mahama pledging 50 million cedis. The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development with its agencies pledged 200 million cedis, while the Poly group of Companies presented a cheque for 50 million cedis and promised 50 dustbins to support the collection exercise.

Representatives of Regional Coordinating Councils, metropolitan and district assemblies, importers, manufacturers, users of plastic waste and the Association of Sachet Water Producers took turns to pledge their support for the programme.

Other persons, who had produced innovative products such as roofing sheets from private waste, also exhibited their products.

General News of Friday, 16 July 2004

Source GNA