Thermoforming Report

The Elephant in the Room

As Earth Day approaches, we thought we’d do some digging to better understand what it was all about, how it relates to plastics, and how plastics impact our day-to-day lives. 

Well… we bit off a chunk of that elephant and clearly won’t do the topic justice in this short report! Even so, there is a ton of information out there and, at a minimum, we can at least work to aggregate some of what we’ve read into one location for your consumption. 

What’s Hiding Behind Curtain #1?

That would be the elephant.

He can’t be missed. Weighing in at a whopping 14,000 pounds, they are the largest of all land animals. But why is he hiding behind the curtain?!?

For all of us plastics professionals, we all know how positive plastics has, does, and will impact our lives. Yet, the hulking 7-ton animal is covered by a thin drape (which is probably made of polyester!). Why?

If I could answer that question simply, it wouldn’t be a global phenomenon!

The reasons are many, and they are complex. And I won’t get into them here. This article isn’t intended to be divisive, all-encompassing, or scientific. There are smarter people out there with more time and energy to devote to the topic. And, based on the simple search we took to explore and learn, they have!

The war of words on plastics, recycling, and similar is decades old. Yet, the plastics industry has just recently started to work to both refute the messaging and pull the curtain back to reveal the elephant – finally.

The Science

I said we were not going to get into this topic, and we won’t.  It is a complex problem that takes a lot of time, energy, and resources to work through and understand. 

However, I’m a manufacturing guy and a degreed Chemical Engineer who grew up as a Process Engineer in a few different plant environments. I even did an internship with Procter & Gamble at one of their pulp mills, which was highly enlightening. 

The amount of time, energy, chemicals, and resources to make paper is truly remarkable. That process has been honed over the years to make it efficient and cost effective. And though the final product is renewable, it is in no way ‘clean.’  All you have to do is make a trip to a paper mill town to understand why! 

My point? The obvious advantages of using polymers are somehow flatly dismissed – and demonized – due to a high level of ignorance and acceptance of filtered information about other products that are touted as better (renewable, cleaner, etc). I know I have a different perspective than most, but I struggle to comprehend how easily people believe the messaging that has been proliferated for years. No, I’m not being divisive… but am I entitled to an opinion.

I digress. Back to the science. 

There is a fairly recent blog post that is highly informative. “Plastics & the Environment – Fact over Fiction”, written by chemist/scientist Dr. Chris DeArmitt, is a great resource. Dr. DeArmitt invested a ton of time doing the research and aggregating a lot of information – so much so that he turned it into a digital book, The Plastics Paradox, and is offering it as a free download! The blog post (which includes a video) is essentially the cliff notes version of the book. 

There are also several other short articles about how plastics enhance our everyday lives, how plastics companies are working to incorporate more recycled and regrind materials, and even how indirect impacts positively impact the environment.   

• Every Day is Earth Day With the Help of Plastics 
• 5 Good Things About Plastic that Help the Environment 
• How Plastic Bag Bans Impact the Economy 
• On Earth Day and Beyond, America’s Plastic Makers Are Working to Make Sustainable Change 
• Ever Wonder If Conventional Wisdom on Plastics and Climate Change Might Be Wrong? 

Yes, these articles are generated by those in the plastics industry.  Yes, they are intended to sway the readers’ minds on how plastics aren’t what they are displayed in media and social media. 

Is it gratuitous? No. Who else is going to go to bat for the industry if not the industry itself? Various plastics industry professionals and organizations have produced a multitude of articles (like this one, this one, this one, and this one – many of which we’ve highlighted in past Thermoforming Reports) which highlight efforts to provide science-based responses to this extent. 

Unveiling the Elephant

No matter the selected theme of Earth Day, I believe there is consensus on this: taking care of the earth will take a combined global approach!

It must be founded in science and not rhetoric. It must be done in partnership with all industries, not just singling out one. We collectively have to address the realities and not assume anything.   

It isn’t plastics versus the planet. It is partnership with the planet.

As your Thermoforming Talent Partner, we represent clients AND candidates! We’re here to help in any and every way possible! We provide hiring strategies, priority candidate searches, job searches, client & candidate introductions, interview tips, résumé facelifts, resignation strategies, and much much more. LET’S STRENGTHEN YOUR SEARCH!