eli5: Plastics are polymers that are engineered to have specific uses for utility. Why can’t they be engineered to be better for the environment?

Question

I really can’t wrap my head around this. With all the garbage created from plastics, can’t they just design and engineer green versions?

Update: Sorry guys, I know I’m oversimplifying everything here. Thanks for the great contribution. Really appreciate it. I didn’t get the answer i wanted, but it was worth a shot.

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

One of the biggest advantages of plastics is that they are durable and not biodegradable because that’s exactly what you want in many use cases. They’re also really cheap and easy to produce in large quantities.

Producing plastics that are better for the environment contradicts those advantages. A biodegradable plastic won’t be as durable as a non degradable one. Engineering that hits the sweet spot takes long and is expensive.

I should also note that multi use plastic products are really environmentally friendly in many metrics. They are lighter than most solutions using metal or glass, more durable than most biological materials and use very little resources in the production.