| When it comes to product design, there can be | | | | |
| little doubt that plastic is the one time | | | | However, there really is no reason to be |
| biggest invention that has helped make | | | | throwing plastic items away in landfill sites |
| billions of items affordable and readily | | | | as it can all be recycled. The problem arises |
| available to everybody. | | | | in trying to encourage people to do the right |
| | | | thinking when plastic products are finished |
| Plastic, coming from the Greek word Plastikos | | | | with. Water bottles are one derivative of |
| meaning to mould or shape, is the product | | | | plastic product design and with today's |
| design of Alexander Parkes and was first | | | | emphasis on health and well being many people |
| publicly demonstrated at the 1862 Great | | | | have taken to constantly carrying water |
| International Exhibition in London. This is | | | | bottles with them and sipping regularly. |
| an organic material made from cellulose that | | | | |
| can be heated and moulded to any shape, | | | | It seems crazy that they want a healthier |
| retaining this new shape on cooling. | | | | body so they drink more water but care little |
| | | | about their environment to the point where |
| The invention of plastic has opened the doors | | | | they are quite happy to pollute it by not |
| to a myriad of new product designs that | | | | recycling in a responsible manner. In 2002, a |
| otherwise would either not have been | | | | staggering 15 billion plastic water bottles |
| possible, or at best would have still been | | | | were produced and of this total, a mere 12 |
| invented but at vastly inflated prices as to | | | | per cent were recycled. This compares with |
| those that plastic brings about. | | | | thirty per cent of soft juice drinks bottles |
| | | | but is still nowhere near enough. |
| Plastic has increasingly been used in product | | | | |
| design throughout the years with varying | | | | It is relatively easy to recycle plastics and |
| popularity. Warehouses were full to the | | | | they can simply be reformed into something |
| rafters with plastic furniture in the sixties | | | | else. Take a look at the blonde woman from |
| but some people saw the products as 'cheap' | | | | Texas. One minute she was normal but after |
| as in cheap quality as well as cheap prices. | | | | some reforming with plastic surgery she |
| And this was looked down upon for a time. | | | | turned into Pamela Anderson. All very well |
| | | | but what happens after death? In years to |
| But that is the whole beauty of this product | | | | come will the ground be littered with plastic |
| design. It is cheap. It is flexible, | | | | body parts that used to be implants? |
| mouldable, resilient and very strong. It | | | | |
| means that anything from furniture to food | | | | On a more serious note, plastic surgery is |
| and drink containers, from toys to paints, | | | | one area that has hardly been touched by |
| from cameras and phones to radios - all have | | | | actual plastic and the name is slightly |
| plastic elements. | | | | misleading. Plastic surgeons concentrate on |
| | | | remodelling bones, cartilage, muscle and skin |
| Plastic can be coloured in whatever way you | | | | using various products and are sometimes |
| want it to stand out or blend in, to look | | | | mistakenly called cosmetic surgeons. |
| natural or completely manufactured. | | | | |
| | | | One way or another, it has to be said that |
| The invention of plastic itself has opened | | | | plastic is one of the greatest product design |
| doors to product design in every single area | | | | results the world has ever seen and has |
| of life. And this itself brings about another | | | | opened the floodgates for so many more |
| problem. Plastic does not simply rot away. It | | | | possibilities. All we need to do is dispose |
| can give off toxic fumes if burnt and will | | | | of it responsibly and it will see us through |
| overwhelm landfill sites the world over. | | | | many more generations. |