Many people are unaware of the fact that the recycling of plastics is not a real solution to the environmental pollution problems but rather a temporary measure until new systems for environmental pollution control can be devised. How normal plastics are harmful for the environment depends on what kind of plastics we are talking about. For instance, polystyrene, another name for polyethylene, is consumed in large quantities as an ingredient of insulation and foam products. It is not only hazardous for the environment but also because this particular plastic is a leading cause of acid rain.
Polypropylene is a popular ingredient for polystyrene because it is not deformed by chlorination, sunlight, heat or chlorine. The downside of this is that this particular plastic is not biodegradable which means that it will stay in the earth’s soil layer for thousands of years. This kind of plastic is more expensive than other kinds of plastic because it is more difficult to work with and therefore more expensive to produce. This makes it difficult to manufacture items such as toys which are made from this kind of plastic. It is also difficult to use as an environmentally friendly alternative for paper.
Now that you know that how normal plastics are harmful for the environment, what can be done to change this? As mentioned earlier, it is best to recycle ordinary plastics rather than using them again as they can damage our environment irreparably. The best possible solution in this regard would be to reuse as much as possible. As we can see, recycling has become the key to solve our current environmental problems.