Question

What is a good way to reduce environmental problems when using objects made from polymers?

Answer 1

There are a number of ways to reduce environmental problems when using items made from polymers, including the important three - reduce, reuse, recycle.

Explanation:

There are naturally occurring polymers such as wool, silk, shellac, and cornstarch that all have the benefit of being bio-degradable.

A man-made polymer is a substance consisting of long stranded molecules that can be manufactured from petroleum into endless products with varying degrees of hardness and generally referred to as plastics.

There is much more information on polymers here:
http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/polymers/polymers.html

One environmental problem associated with polymers are their very slow rate of degradation - over 500 years depending on the composition of the product. Another is the way in which these products degrade. Polymers break down into micro-particles that still maintain the long stranded molecules that nature cannot break down easily or at all. The micro-particles are dangerous to all life.

So how can we reduce the negative effects of polymers?

Reduce-
@Buy products that use glass containers instead of plastic.
@Take water in re-fillable containers to events.
@Do not buy bottled water if it can be avoided.
Reuse-
@Re-fill safe containers often.
@Return used containers to a processing facility.
Recycle-
@Actively look for methods of re-using or recycling plastics.
@Keep plastic out of landfill wherever possible.