Aside from these issues, there remains the overall controversy
about the very existence of plastics. Yes, environmentalists
would like to see fewer plastics and more biodegradable
substitutions. They donâ€™t like how so much plastic is made
from petroleum in an intensive process that uses energy, and
they ask important questions like, â€śDo we really need a half-
dozen little individual disposable plastic containers in our
kidsâ€™ lunchbox.â€™â€™ But Krebs says the plastics industry is
environmentally defensible if you consider that many of its
products can be recycled and then used a third time as
combustible fuel in municipal incinerators. Furthermore, he
points out, youâ€™d want a good solid plastic for your heart
valve not one that would degrade, and you probably like how that
Trex on your deck was made from recycled from waste plastic. The
key is that it gets recycled. Plastic â€śhas three or four lives
and it can give of itself as energy at the end of its life,â€ť
says Krebs. â€śI say to environmentalist