Plastic is, by all means, the devil we befriend. Despite all the calls of environmentalists about banning plastic use for goods, it remains the truth that humans can’t separate their daily life from plastic. They are parts of our cars and our homes. They are what keep our food fresh overnight and most importantly, they are the basic material used in hospital and medical care.
We have often been warned of being drowned by the ocean of plastic we left behind. But the opposite is also true, without plastic, human civilization may collapse just as quickly. Today, we will look at five of the most innovative inventions made from plastic.
1. Artificial heart
The use of artificial hearts is considered one of the breakthrough innovations in the medical industry. A plastic heart maintains the lives of patients during the time they wait for a proper heart transplant, or simply extends their lives in the case no donor's heart is available. According to SynCardia, a person with a TAH (Total Artificial Heart) comprises pulsatile, ventricles, and valves like a human’s heart. It is biocompatible and can help the patients enjoy an active life to 5 years before they could find a donor's heart.
2. Spacesuit
A spacesuit is the shield of an astronaut, their protection against the hostile cosmo environment. Spacesuit helps them breathe, perform normal activities in a zero-gravity environment and move among space dust to collect planet material samples. Due to this requirement, the spacesuit has to be flexible, strong, and anti-UV radiation. This suit is comprised of several layers of plastic, they are resilient enough to endure extreme conditions, heat, and forces while the plastic material is still light enough to allow movement.
3. Plastic wheelchair
There are an estimated hundred million disabled people in developing countries who cannot afford for themselves a wheelchair. Life is hard for the poor, and it is made almost impossible for those suffering from both disability and poverty. Mechanical engineer and inventor Don Schoendorfer thought of a solution: a low-cost, sustainable wheelchair that can be produced in mass to support thousands of people at a time. The wheelchair is a combination of available supplies, a plastic lawn, a steel frame, and bike tires. Such a simple design, but thanks to it thousands of disabled are able to move again. In 2001, Schoendorfer founded Free Wheelchair Mission. His nonprofit organization has delivered mobility to people in 80 developing countries at zero price.
4. Seabin Project
In 2015, two Australian surfers came up with an idea to combat the plastic waste piling up in their ocean land. The Seabin is a floating rubbish bin that can be located in the marinas and docks water area. The inside of the bin circled along the force of windblown and tide. Water is sucked through the catch bag inside while rubbish remained trapped in the bag, ready to be exposed. The bin can even collect a percentage of oil and liquid waste through its fin. The Australian government had issued an order to optimize this project in several harbors and docks in the country.
5. Lego houses
With the rising housing crisis in Colombia together with the mountain of plastic landfill left on ports, Colombian startup Conceptos Plásticos has invented a new model of construction: real-life Lego houses for homeless people. The house is totally made of recycled plastic bricks, it can be built and decluttered within days. Due to the resilience of plastic, these bricks can hold again earthquakes, fire, and lightning. They are also considered an optimal solution for temporary residence during natural disasters. If there is a need to move location or redesign the house, residents can remove the bricks, store them on their car and rebuild them again. In 2015, 42 families in Colombia registered as owners of this mobile Lego house. About European Plastic Company Founded in 2007, European Plastic Company (EuP) is the top producer and exporter of CaCO3 filler and master batch in Vietnam. We have been a reputable partner of plastic producers from 70 countries across the world. Visit our
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