Consider the following :

I. Cigarette butts
II. Eyeglass lenses
III. Car tyres

How many of them contain plastic?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All the three
(d) None

The correct answer is (c) All the three.

Explanation

All three items listed are made from or contain plastic polymers:

Cigarette butts: The white filter (or “tow”) of a cigarette is not cotton. It is made of cellulose acetate, a bioplastic that does not easily biodegrade and breaks down into microplastic fibers.
Eyeglass lenses: While originally made of glass, the vast majority of modern eyeglass lenses are made from various types of plastic. These include polycarbonate (for impact resistance) or other high-index plastic polymers (like CR-39), which are lighter and safer than glass.
Car tyres: Tyres are complex composite materials. They are made of a mixture of natural rubber and synthetic rubber (such as styrene-butadiene rubber). Synthetic rubber is an elastomer, which is a type of plastic polymer. Furthermore, the internal reinforcing belts (or “cords”) of a tyre are often made from plastic textiles like polyester and nylon.

Learn More

What is a Plastic?

The term “plastic” is a common name for a wide category of materials called polymers. A polymer is a large molecule made of many repeating smaller units, strung together in a chain. While we often think of “plastic” as rigid materials (like in bottles or containers), this category is much broader.

Cellulose Acetate (Cigarette Butts): This is a semi-synthetic polymer, meaning it is derived from a natural source (cellulose from wood pulp) but then chemically modified. It is a major source of microplastic pollution in oceans and on land.
Polycarbonate (Lenses): This is a thermoplastic, a polymer that can be melted and reformed. It is prized for its high impact strength, which is why it’s used for safety glasses, shatterproof windows, and bulletproof glass.
Synthetic Rubber (Tyres): This is an elastomer, a type of polymer valued for its elasticity (it can be stretched and return to its original shape). The wear and tear of car tyres on roads is one of the largest single sources of microplastic pollution in the world, releasing tiny “tyre and road wear particles” (TRWP) into the environment.