What sounds like a bold advertising slogan is quite simply the truth: plastic is valuable. No other material influences our way of life quite as much and makes our standard of living possible thanks to its numerous properties and low procurement costs. It is thanks to plastic that what was once luxury could be mass-produced at low prices and made accessible to many.

Plastic will continue to be essential to our supplies and development in the future too as glass, stone, wood and metal are in no way substitutes for plastic, either in practical terms or economically speaking. Or indeed environmentally. But plastic has a bad reputation – so ‘Plastic is fantastic’ is challenging the material’s undeserved denigration.

Above all, plastic is made responsible for the global waste problems. Plastic is also presented as a negative alternative to natural materials. Plastic has become so integrated into our lives that we simply take its use for granted – and no longer see its advantages.

The plastic bottle, which actually plays an important part in supplying water to people around the world, has become the symbol of global pollution. As a stable and durable material, plastic doesn’t simply decompose after use. But the material actually only becomes waste if it is treated as such.

Inexpensive, hygienic and lightweight plastic bottles are used to transport water to people in densely populated conurbations or structurally weak and remote regions. This would be neither logistically nor economically possible in the same way if glass bottles or aluminium cans were used. It wouldn’t make environmental sense either: glass bottles and aluminium cans require a lot of energy to be produced and also generate high levels of carbon emissions. The same goes for glass bottle transportation due to their weight.

The list is long. In the medical field, for example, there would be no sterile single-use instruments without plastic. There would also be no heart valves, knee or hip replacements, glasses or hearing aids. Research laboratories would be void of pipettes. Even astronauts’ helmets are made of plastic.

Plastic is a stable, sturdy material. It therefore doesn’t simply decompose. But it’s not plastic that causes waste – it’s people. If we throw empty plastic bottles away in nature, they remain there for a long time.

It is not only due to thoughtless or deliberate behaviour that plastic ends up in the environment – the infrastructure needed in order to dispose of waste is often also lacking. In emerging countries in particular, the development of disposal systems is often unable to keep pace with economic growth. The initiative is therefore committed to the mindful use of plastic and champions the correct handling of waste, including the promotion of appropriate disposal structures.

Doing without plastic is not an option. Many of our everyday products would disappear, and sourcing supplies would be more costly and more difficult too due to the higher procurement costs of, for example, glass or aluminium. The solution lies in seeing plastic as a valuable resource. This then also changes people’s attitude to used plastic, which is not waste and can be reused.

Plastic is fully recyclable and is used for new products in a cycle process. Plastic also has a high energy value and can be turned into electricity and heat by means of thermal recovery at appropriate plants.

The proportion of recycled materials (recyclate) in new plastic products continues to rise. In addition, plastics with biological properties are increasingly being rolled out. Tougher environmental regulations and material specifications should also be expected. These will make plastic, which was once inexpensive, more costly, and industrial companies will be forced to pass the additional costs on to the consumers.

The Austrian specialist in plastic packaging ALPLA. The company believes in the material and knows it better than most. For example, ALPLA is already in its third generation of championing innovative recycling solutions and is developing new bioplastics. For ALPLA, ‘Plastic is fantastic’ is all about the relationship between people and one of the most important building blocks of civilisation. The packaging manufacturer is seeking to generate the level of appreciation for the material that it deserves.