Plastic is a material we've been using for decades—it simplifies our lives by making packaging items more practical and economical. However, it is hardly ever understood that the plastics we use in our everyday lives are obtained from a substance that has transcended time, from being a once-living to a now-silent witness in history.
Photograph of a dinosaur fossil by Swish & Click Photography.
Fossil fuels are generated from the decomposition of plants and animals. These fuels are present in the Earth's crust and contain carbon and hydrogen, both of which may be burnt to generate energy. These fossil fuels are the key element in the creation of plastic. While this automatically links plastic production to the harmful and polluting oil industry, using fossil fuels to make materials that we practically incorporate every day can be considered wasteful and unsustainable, as it could deplete the fuel reserve while simultaneously polluting our environment.
Most of the components in fossil fuels originated millions of years ago, which should have deemed it as a valuable, ancient, and protected resource. Instead, we're squandering it irresponsibly. Essentially, we're using our ancestors—the root of creation itself—to cause even more destruction.
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