Kunststoffe in der Umwelt – Nachhaltigkeitstheoretische Analysen

Plastics are materials that are ubiquitous in modern societies and it is hard to imagine a world without them. They are essential ingredients in cosmetics, they are part of cars, cell phones or textiles, as well as of many other commodities. The reason for this lies in their superior nature compared to classic materials like wood or metals. However, there are always to sides to a revolution. Problems arose that no one could think of at the time when plastics started their triumph. The most severe problems of all are the depletion of natural resources like oil, natural gas or coal, as well as the high amounts of waste that have to be treated. The consequences are far reaching: huge amounts of CO2 being released into the atmosphere, harmful chemicals that make their way through the food chain up to the human population and animals dying from plastic parts that they eat taking them for food. For these reasons it is the goal of this thesis to describe the current situation of plastics with a special focus on short-lived products like plastic bags, bottles or other packaging materials. Therefore, plastics are described from the very beginning, starting with the various types of production techniques, the possible supplements that are added and the possible risks posed to human beings and the environment by them. In a subsequent step, the main materials used for such short-lived products are identified and analysed by ecobalances.