Curriculum The Economics of Plastics
The Economics of Plastics
Why a miracle material became a global problem: the rise of plastic, why it's so cheap, India's single-use ban, plastic credits and EPR certificates, recycling economics, packaging and food waste, the chips packet problem, plastic in rivers and seas, microplastics, the global plastics treaty and the search for alternatives.
- The Plastic Age How plastic production grew from almost nothing in 1950 to hundreds of millions of tonnes a year, what it's used for, and why it transformed modern life. 📄 Read-aloud
- Why Plastic Is So Cheap How low oil and gas prices, economies of scale and unpriced pollution costs make plastic cheaper than alternatives, and what it would cost if its harms were priced. 📄 Read-aloud
- India's Single-Use Plastic Ban How India banned 19 single-use plastic items from July 2022, how enforcement has worked, and the economics of bans versus taxes. 📄 Read-aloud
- Plastic Credits and EPR Certificates How India's plastic EPR system lets companies meet recycling targets by buying certificates from recyclers, and why fake certificates became a problem. 📄 Read-aloud
- The Economics of Plastic Recycling Why only some plastics are profitable to recycle, how oil prices affect recycled plastic demand, and why India recycles PET bottles at high rates. 📄 Read-aloud
- Packaging and Food Waste: A Trade-Off How plastic packaging reduces food spoilage and waste, why cutting plastic can raise food losses, and how to weigh the trade-offs. 📄 Read-aloud
- The Economics of Plastics: Checkpoint 1 Quick checkpoint - five questions on plastic growth, its low price, the single-use ban, EPR certificates and recycling. 5 questions
- The Chips Packet Problem Why multilayer packaging used for chips, biscuits and sachets is almost impossible to recycle profitably, and how India's sachet economy makes it common. 📄 Read-aloud
- Plastic in Rivers and Oceans How plastic waste reaches oceans mainly through rivers from countries with weak waste collection, the damage to marine life and fisheries, and the economics of clean-up. 📄 Read-aloud
- Microplastics and Health How plastic breaks into tiny particles now found in water, food, air and human bodies, what scientists know about health effects, and why uncertainty complicates policy. 📄 Read-aloud
- The Global Plastics Treaty How countries began negotiating a global treaty to end plastic pollution in 2022, why oil-producing and manufacturing nations disagreed over production limits, and India's position. 📄 Read-aloud
- Alternatives: Paper, Glass and Bioplastics How alternatives like paper, glass, metal and bioplastics compare with plastic on cost and environmental impact, and why none is a perfect substitute. 📄 Read-aloud
- Rethinking Plastic How economics can help reduce plastic pollution through pricing, design, collection and reuse, and a recap of the module. 📄 Read-aloud