Nowadays, plastic is the main material which is used to package foods and drinks. This essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this packaging method. While plastic containers come with the benefits of being cheap and lightweight, I believe that the drawback of environmental pollution outweighs the benefits.
Since manufacturing of plastic based containers is very cheap, foods and drinks that are sold in those containers can be bought for low prices. Consequently, companies and consumers benefit, as companies have a high margin, while consumers pay a low price. Morevover, plastic comes with the advantage of being low in weight, so goods that are packaged in plastic can be easily carried. For instance, when I go on a hike with my friends, we usually take plastic water bottles with us, as they are way lighter than glass bottles.
On the other hand, plastic packaging has serious drawbacks with regard to our environment. As plastic is often not recycled properly, nature and especially oceans get polluted with plastic. This pollution affects animals and humans similarly. In addition, as plastic is made of oil, every produced plastic container is emitting carbon dioxide, which is causing climate change. For example, due to the plastic pollution in our oceans, tortoises swallow plastic bottle caps and can get severe illnesses.
In conclusion, plastic containers come with many benefits like a cheap price and practical advantages, but the drawbacks for our environment, which are linked to this kind of packagaing, absolutely outweigh all the benefits.