Fire, The Wheel, Plastic – These are 3 of mankind’s greatest discoveries

Posted on 25 Sep 2025

Plastics in Perspective

Plastic for Medical Appliances

The survival of Alex was a modern-day miracle, with plastics at its heart. The intensive care cots were totally enclosed in plastic. His breathing, feeding, medications monitoring, were all reliant on plastics.

There are thousands of similar minor miracle medical applications which rely on plastic. Bones are cemented together, hips and knee joints are replaced, heart, breast, and dental implants are regular occurrences, along with the installation of heart monitors, all rely on plastic. Catheters and cataract operations make life more bearable for many, whilst even everyday use of glasses and hearing aids enable wearers to see and hear better.

Finally, billions of tablets are taken every day, all wrapped in plastic. 

Plastic for Food Applications

Surprisingly, despite its amazing diversity, the largest application for plastics is in food packaging (60%). Here again, the technology and range of end uses is totally amazing, from single web wrap for bakery products, bread, buns and biscuits, to gas flushed modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), incorporating oxygen scavengers that maintain meats fresh for weeks rather than days. Similarly, laser perforated packs allow perishable soft foods to ‘breathe’, preserving them to be edible for longer.

*Some Examples of Extended UK Shelf-Life using Plastic Packaging

*Dependant on storage conditions

*Including primary & secondary packaging

As the UK imports over 40% of its food requirements, we rely on plastic packaging to maintain our food supplies.

Plastics in Transport

• The average modern car includes up to 12,000 plastic components, from the steering wheel to the tyres, including virtually all the plastic interior fixtures and fittings along with many engine components. This result is a lighter weight vehicle, which otherwise would be unable to be moved by modern car engines.
• Whilst no similar figures are available for HG Vehicles, the build content remains similar, only the heavy metal bodies reduce the percentage of plastic used in manufacture.
• The Boeing 787 and Airbus 350 are both stated to have 50% plastic air frame mass, including composite plastics. This enables smaller engines and much reduced fuel consumption from these aircraft, which otherwise would not get airborne.
• In this application alone, plastic saves millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions. 

Plastics in Communication 

It is impossible to contemplate modern communications without plastic. Mobile phones, computers, TV’s, radios are all virtually 100% plastic, without which our modern lifestyles would not exist. 

Plastics in the Home 

Heat, light, power, water, air con, insulation, double glazing, etc, the list is endless. All the home comforts and the services we take for granted are provided in part by plastics. These applications are in addition to our carpets, curtains, fridge, freezer, washing machines, and even our humble kettle, all of which contain plastic to a greater or lesser degree. 

Plastic in our Clothing 

According to AI! – Circa 70% of all textiles produced worldwide include synthetic fibres, with over 50% polyester. Often wool, cotton clothes contain from 5-30% plastic. All our footwear includes plastic in some form, whilst recreational, outdoor wear and fashion have been transformed by the use of plastics. 

Summary

Our health care, food, transport, communication, clothing, heat light, power, water, and our well being at home, all rely on the distillation of just 6% of the barrel of oil from which we produce plastic. The ingenuity of the inventors and developers of plastic applications has been amazing and continues to the present day. If plastics were invented today, they would be hailed as a wonder material, and we should appreciate them as such. 

It is feasible that if in 50 years’ time solar, wind, and nuclear provide all our energy needs, we will be drilling for oil simply to acquire the 6% of a barrel which is used for plastics!! 

As ever, I welcome your views on any of the items raised and would welcome you on LinkedIn for more regular updates. 

Twigg Times 

#DontHatePlastic