Anybody work in the Plastics Industry? If we run out of Oil can we make plastics still?

[Aquaman]

With all this talk of oil going on I was wondering.......... plastic are made from petro-chemicals............ so if the oil runs out is there a way to make plastics with out the petro-chemicals?

If we run out of oil then there are other alternatives for cars like fuel cells and natural gas etc. But what about plastic production? It would be a real pain in the ass if we could not produce plastics anymore.

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Monel Funkawitz]

Not all "plastic" is made from oil products, although the majority are.

There has been oil crunches since the 50's. It is a way for the oil companies to raise prices. We won't be running out anytime soon, trust me.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: Aquaman
With all this talk of oil going on I was wondering.......... plastic are made from petro-chemicals............ so if the oil runs out is there a way to make plastics with out the petro-chemicals?

If we run out of oil then there are other alternatives for cars like fuel cells and natural gas etc. But what about plastic production? It would be a real pain in the ass if we could not produce plastics anymore.

Cheers,
Aquaman

Yes we can make plastics without oil. It will just be more costly.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: Monel Funkawitz
Not all "plastic" is made from oil products, although the majority are.

There has been oil crunches since the 50's. It is a way for the oil companies to raise prices. We won't be running out anytime soon, trust me.

The cost of oil is not with oil companies, it goverment taxes. Take a look the next time you are at the pump.

 

[Monel Funkawitz]

True.

 

[Aquaman]

But will we be able to make everything that we can make now with the non-oil based plastics?

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: Aquaman
But will we be able to make everything that we can make now with the non-oil based plastics?

Cheers,
Aquaman

I think the answer is, it will just cost more.

 

[Aquaman]

Cool......... although I will never see it happen in my lifetime........... just something that popped in to my head one day while I was 'making a deeposit'

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[Zebo]

Anything which has chains of carbon you can make plastic from. Milk does plastics good.

 

[Moonbeam]

Most stills are made from glass and copper.

 

[SuperTool]

We won't actually ever run out of oil per se. It's just the low hanging fruit will be gone and we'll have to look harder, and it will cost more to get oil.
But right now go ahead and get that nice SUV or sports car. You'll be dead by the time it happens.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

Well, there is a limited USEFUL supply of oil...

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: SuperTool
We won't actually ever run out of oil per se. It's just the low hanging fruit will be gone and we'll have to look harder, and it will cost more to get oil.
But right now go ahead and get that nice SUV or sports car. You'll be dead by the time it happens.

What do you mean? There is not an infinite supply of oil on this planet. We will eventually run out, even if it takes another 500 years.

The whole "It doesen't matter, I'll be dead by the time it happens" is an extremely self centered way of thinking about things. It's not like the planet ceases to exist when you die. What about your children, and your children's children's children?

That said, we can make plastic without oil. Like others have said, it would just cost more. Since we can create synthetic oil, we could create synthetic substances to create plastic with.