Introduction

Tammy : It’s a sunny day here in Manila, and the weather is expected to be hot on the coming days. This is Tammy from the Unipro Consulting Limited, and today’s podcast is about the “Plastic”, we will be discussing this with Ray, the founder of Unipro Consulting Limited. Hi Ray, how are you today?

Ray : Hi, Tammy, everything is good, the weather here is cool too, and yes I’m excited to talk about plastics, as this is one of the major concerns of our environment, and yet it is also important to us and to some business.

Tammy : True, this topic will probably be a lesson to some who could get an idea how to use the plastic wisely. Why did I choose this topic? Simple because it is a common problem here in my country, the cause of flood, damaging the ozone layer and many more.

What is Plastic

Ray : Yes, and I think it’s not only in your country that has that common problem, it’s a common problem for everyone. And to let our listeners know that plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes.

Tammy : And there are also plastics that inspires new innovations that help make life easier, healthier and safer every day. And plastics in packaging help keep foods safe and fresh, which is the one I’m using.

Ray : Did you know that Some plastics occur in nature, like tree rubber. which don’t. Some plastics are hard and shatter-resistant, others are soft and flexible. 

Tammy : Oh yes, and some are made out of gas. Actually I’m okay with the use of plastics, just be sure to use it properly and throw it in the right place. Like you can recycle it or sell it to the junk shop. It’s just that I don’t agree on burning it that can cause a big impact on the environment.

Why is it dangerous to the environment

Ray : Of course, The burning of plastics releases toxic gases like mercury into the atmosphere, and poses a threat to vegetation, human and animal health. That’s why it is not good to burn them.

Tammy : I heard in other countries they ban the usage of plastics, as well as here, they banned the plastics in some areas, especially those countries who burn them.

Ray: How does it affect our health? Burning of plastic waste increases the risk of heart disease, aggravates respiratory ailments such as asthma and emphysema and causes rashes, nausea or headaches, and damages the nervous system.

Tammy : That’s actually scary, I always believe that health is wealth.

Ray : That’s definitely correct, this is why for me, plastic that cannot be recycled should stop being manufactured, cause who knows where this plastic will go after being used since it cannot be recycled? 

Tammy : Burn them?

Ray : Probably yes.

Tammy : Oh no! And maybe that is one of the reasons why in other parts of the world, efforts are being made to reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills or in our oceans. 

Ray : Yes, and of course be a responsible citizen, too! That would be a great help!

Tammy : Anyway, it’s just difficult to not use them. That’s why we cannot avoid it, and it is really important to some people.

Why Plastic is Important

Ray : And now that we have an idea what is plastic made of, and the risk of it, why is it still important to people and business owners to use plastics?

Tammy : Well, for some people like me, we use it on a daily basis, like we use plastic to throw our garbage, we use plastic straws to sip our soda or juice, I use ziplocks for my leftover crackers and a lot more!

Ray : I agree that we use plastics on our daily basis, but did you know that there are a lot of other options or alternatives to using plastics? Like u said, you use plastic straws for your soda, did you know that there are metal or bamboo straws already available in the market? You can try using those to lessen the usage of plastic. You can also buy some glass containers for your leftover crackers or food. At Least it’s reusable.

Tammy : That’s actually a great idea, reusable containers. This can also help you save money! And at the same time it helps lessen the pollution.

Ray : Yes. But let’s admit, we cannot avoid using plastics everyday, but what we can do is to at least try our best to use it in a proper way and try to think of other alternatives before you buy them.

Tammy : Oh wait, there are also plastics that are made out of nice materials that don’t harm the environment. I think the plastics that are made of wax? That can dissolve in time.

Ray : There are a lot of different kinds of plastics, it depends on where or how you are going to use them. Like for example, for business owners or establishments, they use this for their packaging.

Tammy : Yes, I’ve seen somewhere that people use 5 trillion plastics a year, so imagine that! 

Ray : That’s correct, since the usage of plastic is around 5 trillion, some country businesses use plastics.

Tammy : Could it affect their business?

Ray : Yes, for sure. Those who will be most affected by bans and regulations are retail establishments that provide single-use, lightweight plastic bags to take merchandise home such as grocery stores and other retail stores.

Tammy : So whether you are a restaurant owner who uses plastic bags as the preferred carry-out method for a to-go meal or a retail grocer who provides plastic shopping bags to customers you will likely be forced to find alternative materials. 

Ray : Actually, some already transitioned their packaging to new earth friendly ones. Like if you are an online seller, they use boxes as their packaging instead of the plastic pouches, and instead of bubbles wraps for fragile items, they use an earth friendly styrofoam that dissolves easily when put in the water.

Tammy : Oh yea! I remember buying from a website in the USA. When I got the package, I was surprised to see a compostable styrofoam. And it really melts in the water! It looks so magically to me, since we don’t usually see it here.

Ray: Yes that’s Eco-foam. A bit pricey than the normal styrofoam. And that’s how it affects both sellers and buyers. Since sellers should use eco-friendly materials for their items. They need to add a little amount on their items too! I’m not saying that the items are now more expensive than the time they use non eco friendly materials, but you get my point here right? 

Tammy : Yes yes, of course, they need to cost too, or else business will be not as good as before.

Ray : That’s correct, and that’s how it affects the consumers too. It’s like a domino effect or a chain reaction. 

Tammy : True. Well, most of the people now prefer to buy eco-friendly materials, not just because it can save them money on some areas, but also because it can help our nature.

Ray : Actually, it is still okay to use plastic, as long as you know how to properly dispose of them, like what you said, sell in the junk shop instead of burning them. Just make sure you buy the recyclable one. 

Tammy : Oh yea, the recyclable one, or the reusable one. 

Ray : Yes, so yes if you are a business owner, switch to reusables to reduce your overall waste and keep sealife and the earth from harm. 

Tammy : I agree! Be a responsible citizen!

Ray : True.

Tammy : This is a great podcast again with you, and I hope our listeners, especially entrepreneurs who have a start-up business, could get ideas from our weekly topics! 

Ray : Correct. Thanks Tammy for today’s topics. See you next week!

Tammy : Thanks Ray! Stay tuned for our next podcast! Bye!

Ray : Bye!