Is plastic more of a pollutant or glass, before answering this think of the process also and practical things?

Question

Because the process to make glass involves and extreme amount of heat (like 1,000's of degrees unlike plastic) which emits some kinda smoke which is probably some kind of glass smoke which maybe could get into a person's lungs like asbestos...
Also, Glass will cut a person and glass shards can stay in the body just like plastic, just thinking of how to compare the two when walking bear foot...plastic seems way nicer.

I meant to write the process of making glass things involves an extreme amount of heat...

With the extreme amount of heat suggestion, one could think of the oil that is burned to make that amount of heat.

but glass is shaped in a way that's inconvenient to living things, it's got jagged corners instead of rounded ones. And who's to know what chemicals are used to stain the glass. I think I got an answer: how glass pollutes the environment remains ellusive because I seriously don't think people have honed in on what i'm trying to convey.

Answer 1

Plastic is a petroleum processing by-product. When you're refining crude oil into fuel-grade products, the leftovers are the beginnings of plastic. From there it's processed in many different ways to make many different kinds of plastics. Plastic is toxic - it leaches chemicals into the environment, and us if we ingest it, eat / drink from it. Look up phthalates and bisphenol-A to name a few. Plastic doesn't bio-degrade, so what we dump into landfills will remain there forever, leeching chemicals into the soil and water. Oil is a non-renewable resource.

Glass is made from minerals (sand). It is completely non-toxic and inert, even most of the colorants are non-toxic mineral based. Glass can be recycled infinitely as it's molecules need only be re-arranged. Given enough time, it can completely break-down back into sand/ minerals. Yes, it can cut you (but I've been cut quite more often by that horrid plastic-shell packaging on electronics).

Comparatively, a glass-production plant will pollute very little compared to an oil refinery. Don't breathe the smoke in either case, smoke in general isn't good for your lungs. As far as energy production per item, I can't say for sure. It's hard to separate out plastic from the whole oil production industry. But I can say for sure glass is a far safer, more sustainable and environmentally-friendly option.

Answer 2

Plastic is made of oil and requires plenty of chemical processes to create. In the natural environment, it does not break down because it is not natural.

Glass is natural. It is merely melted silica. If you are concerned about walking on it barefoot, you are not really thinking in terms of 'pollution' but in terms of convenience when walking around. By that logic, Astroturf is less of a pollutant than a natural forest floor.

Answer 3

i strongly believe that plastic is ruining our environment. think about all the things you can do to it that will jeopardise your heath. for example, you can't heat or freeze it because the chemicals released can cause cancer. also, plastic isn't biodegradable, so we keep producing more and more, and recycling less. think about all the plastic products the avg. human uses in a month. your toothpaste, shampoo, face wash, toothbrush, chap stick, drinks, groceries are all packaged or made out of plastic. if you buy a CD, think about all the plastic wrap you must go through to get to the actual CD. glass may take more energy to produce, but it is NATURAL energy and the glass itself is made from natural things, not hazardous chemicals like plastic is made out of.

Answer 4

Plastic is far lighter so it weighs less when transporting the product. Less weight, less gas used.