Plastics The Big Problem?

August 5, 2008 by Bill.

Last night we were watching a superb HD show on the National Geographic (”NatGeo”) channel called “LA Hard Hats“. This show is all about how construction workers build high-rise buildings: the various challenges they go through with respect to the cement work, plumbing wiring, flood and earthquake control, and so forth.

The show we watched was filmed at a new LA high-rise called “Evo”. If you’re into engineering this show is a must-see for several reasons. It’s beautifully filmed in HD and displays well in 1080p. You’re right in there with the workers as they put up this big behemoth of a structure–all the pitfalls they encounter. An added plus is the show’s producers visit various commodity producers who provide the building supplies such as pipe and concrete. You get to see how Kohler toilets and faucets are made, and so on.

Which is why I’m writing this blog. On a radio show I was listening to the other day–don’t ask me which, I can’t remember, but I think it was the “Caplis & Silverman” show on 630 KHOW–they said that about 25% of the oil we use in America goes into the creation of plastics.

Twenty-five percent? That’s a big number! A lot of oil.

Here’s the connection to the LA Hard Hats show: The episode we watched was all about the building’s plumbing. The waste pipe the construction workers put in–big 6″ and 8″ piping that would drain all of the building’s 2500 waste connections–was made of cast iron, the various parts connected together by rubber sleeves and pipe clamps. Cast iron pipe, instead of thick black plastic.

The show’s narrator said that the last cast iron factory in America happens to be in LA. They visited the factory and filmed the workers as they made cast iron pipe. Here’s the cool thing: Cast iron is made from recycled parts that come from such things as automobile brakes and other throwaways. Sure, you have to have great hot cauldrons that melt the iron in order to recast it into pipe, which doubtless consumes some fuel.

But in order to make plastic, you not only have to heat up the ingredients to pour them into the forms you’ve devised for your plastic parts, the very ingredients for the plastics themselves are largely petroleum-based–a double whammy.

I guess one advantage with plastic waste pipe is that it might endure an earthquake more readily. But I’m not so sure about even that. When you connect cast iron together with the rubber connectors and pipe clamps they used, there’s quite a bit of give in the joints. Seems to me in an earthquake, the pipes could move around a little and the joints wouldn’t be any the worse for wear. But glued-together plastic joints? I’m thinking an earthquake could easily tear some of them apart. Not sure. Guess we’ll have to wait and see where things flow when granny gets rid of those prunes she’s been faithfully consuming.

Anyway, the point is that we seem to be majoring in the minors. We’re concentrating on recycling–a great thing–and alternative energy resources–an even greater thing–but then we continue to build structures and inumerable other things with plastics. And package our stuff in great unwieldy packaging made from plastics. When you buy nearly any produce these days, the fruits and vegetables ship in these so-called “clamshell” packages. Made from plastic. Yes, you can recycle them, but the bigger question is this: Why even have this clamshell stuff in the first place? Isn’t there a less oil-consumptive, more environmentally friendly way of shipping goods to consumers so there is still little loss, and the freshness stays the same? We buy our eggs at Costco in paperboard containers. And they’re fresh and yummy, with little breakage.

And our automobiles are largely made from plastics. As is our playground equipment, and nearly any other thing you utilize today.

Will we continue to use petroleum to manufacture plastics, even when we’re driving hydrogen-based fuel-cell cars?

Guess I’m confused about the message.

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