Consumer Goods & The Plastics Industry

By 2025, the electronics and consumer goods plastics market will keep expanding and have an approximate worth over $50 billion.  The demand for plastic manufacturing continues to increase for consumer goods from smartphones and smartwatches to automobiles, home appliances, and food packaging.  Overall, plastic is the most lightweight, the least inexpensive, and can withhold the greatest impact and corrosion resistance in the market.

Ultimately, plastics can help create more with much less in many ways.  Plastic packaging can enable manufacturers to include more in shipping with far less packaging than other materials.  What is also called “light-weighting,” plastic can make a significant improvement on economic as well as environmental efficiency with higher amounts of products shipped with less product packaging needed to be produced.

The consistent demand for environmentally-friendly plastics in consumer goods has continued to compel plastic manufacturers like Plastic Service Centers to continue to focus on the latest trends.  Take a look at some of the advantages of plastics used for consumer goods.

Reusability & Recyclability

Plastic is a highly durable material able to withstand high impact and otherwise damaging natural elements like corrosion.  Thus, plastic is one of the most reused and recycled materials in the market.  From refillable water bottles to containers for food, plastic is widely used all over the consumer market.  Recycled plastic pellets can be melted down and redesigned to use for many kinds of commercial products.  Not only are businesses conserving raw materials — by choosing reusable items, where appropriate — but you may also significantly offset trash disposal costs and reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills.

How Plastics Will Impact the Future of American Industry

Today, plastics play a crucial role in the way we engineer and package goods.  In reality, plastic distribution made the production of computers, smartphones, gaming consoles, modern medical equipment and many other important advances possible.  As time progressed, plastics were the inexpensive and safe alternative to metals and lumber.  This ultimately raised the standard of living and introduced the idea of mass production at much cheaper rates.  Imagine our economy with products – such as the iPhone, Alexa, or Nintendo Switch – that were made with materials more expensive than plastic.  In essence, products such as these would be astronomically expensive and out of reach to the everyday American consumer.

The Versatility of Thermoplastic Resins

One of the most beneficial advantages to use thermoplastics is the resistance to chemicals.  This makes thermoplastic resins a great choice for applications such as vinyl siding, drainpipes, and gutters.  Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a great example of a thermoplastic that is highly resistant to acids and bases, hence why it is used so widely in plumbing and construction.

Here are some examples of common thermoplastics that showcase their versatility across an array of applications:

Acrylic: Acrylic is a great substitute for glass but it doesn’t stop there.  Acrylic can be used in applications from home aquariums to replacement eye lenses.

Nylon: Nylon is perfect for use as a clothing material as it belongs to a class of polymers called polyamides.  It can be found in fabrics, carpets, and rope. It is also used to make mechanical parts such as gears and screws.

ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene): ABS is a widely used thermoplastic due to its lightweight and impact-resistant properties.  You can find ABS being used in objects such as children’s toys and consumer appliances.

Polyethylene: Polyethylene describes a family of similar thermoplastics. They vary based on density and molecular structure.  Some uses of polyethylene are milk jugs, grocery bags, saran wrap, milk jug caps, and outdoor furniture.

Polypropylene: Polypropylene is useful for products such as microwave and dishwasher safe containers, ropes, carpets, and storage bins.  The only downside to polypropylene is that it’s not as impact resistant as polyethylenes.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC): As mentioned above, PVC is great for applications in the construction industry.  You will find PVC in most basements as its most common application is piping.

As you can see, no matter your application there is a thermoplastic that is ready to do the job.  With advances in thermoplastic technology occurring constantly we can expect the potential of them to continue to grow.

Trust Plastic Service Centers for Thermoplastic Resin, Glass Fiber, and Carbon Fiber Products

Plastic Service Centers?offers you selection and availability from our?4,000,000+?pounds of inventory.

We stock a complete line to buy plastic resins in bulk, including?thermoplastic resins,?automotive approved polymers,?carbon fiber,?commodity polymers, including prime, generic, wide-specification, custom compounds, and other various engineered resins and new plastics.? Our solid relationships with manufacturers and worldwide logistics partners give you reliable access to all the new plastic resin products you need, when and where you need it.? We also have special pricing on some resins including?surplus resins.

Located in Clinton Township, Michigan, Plastic Service Centers has distribution centers throughout the U.S. to help us serve our clients quickly and conveniently. ?We work closely with our customers to ensure high quality and competitive prices for every single order. ?You can either buy plastic resins, plexiglass, acrylics, bulk plastic, and more. 

Trust us to be your carbon fiber or new plastic resin distributors, and we will work hard to exceed your expectations.? Give us a call at (586) 307-3900 if you have questions or would like to request a quote on our?contact form.