Between Prejudice and Realities How Plastics Are Essential for the Future

Surveys conducted at a European level show that the perception of plastics darkens year after year, but not at the same speed across all countries. It is in France that the image of plastics is the most negative between 1977 and 2011, it fell from 67 to 35%. In Germany, although it chips away a little, it remains positive at 77% in Italy at 55% in the UK at 52% in Spain, it went below 50%. 

Such a context also reactivates the prejudices about the aesthetic mediocrity of plastics with, as a corollary, substituted materials. Therefore, an upmarket yogurt, originally in a terracotta pot, is today placed in a colored glass jar imitating a terracotta pot, but certainly not in polystyrene like the others - a question of image  

Plastics industries have a number of problems to be cleared the mediocrity of the materials, proven toxicity or not of certain substances and harmful influence on the environment. We will return to them. After assessing the issues, we will weigh the benefits against the harm. 

In the collective European imagination and especially that of the French, plastic materials today symbolize pollution, wastage of fossil fuels and toxicity. In reality, they contribute to sustainable development in various capacities. To better understand the difference between a dark vision and positive facts, we must bear in mind the view of the future such as that drawn by scientists, statisticians and futurists. 

The optical fiber is a very good example to highhght the role of plastics in high technology. Taking into accoimt the deadlines in 2030, their physical quahties will be invaluable. 

---

Between Prejudice and Realities How Plastics Are Essential for the Future... 

---