Hobbies And Interests
Bubble Wrap
Bubble wrap is made from the thermoplastic polyethylene. This material is made from crude oil and requires a large amount of water to manufacture. It is manufactured as thin sheets and then has air blown into it to inflate the bubbles, which offer padding to protect the contents of parcels and packages.
Foam
Protective packaging foam is made from extruded polystyrene. Polystyrene, like polyethylene, is a thermoplastic derived from crude oil. It is then extruded to form a foam which can be shaped so it fits tightly around products such as domestic appliances.
Environmental Impacts
Both of these packaging materials have a heavy environmental impact. Firstly the extraction of the crude oil which is its base component is very damaging to the environment both on land and offshore. The refining process leads to the release of carbon dioxide gas and the water required to manufacture the plastic drains local resources. The other major problem is that neither of these materials are non-biodegradable so if thrown away and sent to landfills will last for hundreds of years, leaking toxic chemicals into the soil and water.
Environmentally Friendly
There has been a large push to manufacture biodegradable plastics as many companies try to boost their environmental credentials. These are made by either including additives to the oil-based plastic which allows it to break down or by manufacturing new plastics out of natural products such as corn starch.
Bubble Wrap or Foam
Neither of these materials is good for the environment because they're manufactured from crude oil due, use many quantities of water and are non-biodegradable. In both forms the biodegradable versions have a much lower impact. The key with both of these materials is to reuse it as packaging rather than throwing it away where it will end up on a landfill.