Has the plastic industry put people out of jobs?

[chillspike]

I was thinking today about the oil industry and how many things are now made out of plastic that used to be made out of metal or wood and it just struck me that the plastic industry had to have an impact on jobs in the metal and wood industries. I was working with these plastic hangers and thought about how they are probably not recyclable while metal ones would be. Based on that, wouldn't there be a double benefit to going back to building things of metal? It would probably create more jobs and produce recyclable products where we are using plastic now.

Just wondering if anyone out there can confirm any of this from experience?

Anyhow, thanks for reading.

[exboyfil]

1. I am not sure labor content of plastic vs. wire hangers

would be that different. It probably does not matter for our unemployment picture, because I doubt any domestic clothes hanger manufacturers exist.

I do think that manufacuters of polymer based products have an obligation to address their disposal though.

[Warpy]

4. I'm guarding my remaining few wire hangers carefully

because nothing beats a wire hanger for tying something up securely or making a gizmo to fish wires through walls, things I do with alarming frequency in this dump of a house.

The only thing I don't do with them is ruin clothing on them.

[KG]

8. great for holding up mufflers and exhaust pipes!

thank goodness those days are way behind me.

[Warpy]

15. Never say never

I've had the bottom drop out too damned many times to say it.

[customerserviceguy]

11. Don't drycleaning places still use them?

I don't recall ever getting any clothes back from the cleaners on a plastic hanger.

[Warpy]

14. Drycleaning? I see that on an article of clothing

and put the puppy back.

I do have some rayon and wool, but I wash it out by hand and it doesn't seem to suffer.

There's no way I'd trust my handspun, hand knitted sweaters to a cleaner, anyway.

[customerserviceguy]

16. Yes, I don't use drycleaners myself

But as long as they're still around, there will be metal hangers, until plastic ones are cheaper somehow.

You might be able to find a decent quantity at either a garage sale or a thrift shop. I'm sure the latter gets in tons of the things, and they'd practically give them away.

[KG]

2. no wire hangers EVER!

[hugo_from_TN]

5. LOL - My first thought also.

[onethatcares]

3. I think it may have impacted the furniture industry

but most users of wood products here in the states are supposed to be using the entire tree. That's why there is mulch and flakeboard products.

I like old furniture for some reason. The wood and woodgrains just seem to be better than any other types.

[surrealAmerican]

6. For that to be true ...

... plastic hangers would have to take fewer people to make than wire hangers, or we would have to somehow require fewer of them. I don't know if that's the case. From my "end user" experience, I'd say that plastic hangers are no more durable than wire ones.

[Taverner]

7. No, but sweatshop labor sure has...

Rage against the capitalists, not the machines

[Stevenmarc]

9. So much for The Graduate

[B Calm]

10. I worked 25 years in a cellophane company. Cellophane was biodegradable

but thanks to polypropylene plastics we're no longer in business.

[customerserviceguy]

12. Yes

and the automobile industry put the buggy whip makers out of business.

[blogslut]

13. I'm no expert

But I would imagine the mining/smelting of those metals is probably just as damaging to the environment. Metal can be re-used and recycled but so can many plastics. However, recycling either probably isn't great for the environment. I could be wrong, wrong, wrong.

When an industry fades from prominence it is a sad thing but not necessarily a bad thing.

For me, the real problem is planned obsolescence and a marketing culture that convinces consumers that old and used items are undesirable.

[chillspike]

17. I know some plastics can be recycled but

...Isn't true they can be safely returned to the earth?