| The market for plastic packaging materials has grown | | | | McDonald's, plastic packaging containers are now used |
| substantially in the last decade and by the end of | | | | in a lot of high class restaurants for takeaways such |
| 2009 was estimated to be worth $16 billion dollars. | | | | as Wagamamma's. |
| Even conservative observers estimate that the | | | | The social cost |
| market will grow to over $20 million in 4 years or | | | | Although cost of plastic packing materials to |
| more. | | | | businesses has fallen in recent years, many argue |
| Why the sudden growth? | | | | that the cost to the environment has increased. |
| There are many reasons why the plastics market has | | | | Litter is now become a problem in towns and cities |
| grown and will continue to grow for the foreseeable | | | | throughout most industrially mature countries. The |
| future. One of the more prevalent is the rise of the | | | | costs incurred with cleaning up this mess is estimated |
| internet shopping, which has fuelled a large proportion | | | | to run into the billions throughout the world and |
| of growth. | | | | seems likely it will increase if the current growth in |
| The manufacturing of the materials used in this type | | | | plastic packing continues. Animals often take the |
| of packaging has improved exponentially in the last | | | | brunt of the litter. Fish can get tangled up in it and |
| decade. Most factories can now produce two or | | | | die, or die from the pollutants caused by plastics |
| three times as much as they were once able, in part | | | | entering their ecosystem. |
| due the spread of Japanese business philosophies | | | | The pollutants produced through the creation of |
| such as MUDA. As simple supply and demand | | | | plastic packaging materials also come under attack. |
| economics dictates, this vast increase in production | | | | The production process requires the burning of vast |
| capability has lead to downward pressure on the | | | | amounts of chemicals at high heats, some of which |
| price of plastic packaging materials. | | | | evaporate into the atmosphere and return as acid |
| The boom of fast food eateries up and down the | | | | rain. As most of the production tends to happen in |
| country has also contributed for an increase in | | | | 3rd world countries, procedure can be quite lax and |
| demand for plastic materials. Once only the | | | | regulations often ignored if it makes financial sense to |
| associated with lower class establishments such as | | | | do so. |