Cheap Today, A Burden for Hundreds of Years

We always like to say that we are building the future.
But somehow, ironically, we build that future using materials that actually threaten the future itself.

^{The WPC (Wood Plastic Composite) backdrop is an affordable material in my design and my work. Image source: @kharrazi documentation}

Plastic has become the favorite material in modern construction — light, cheap, and easy to install. From PVC ceilings, pipes, waterproofing membranes, synthetic insulation, to facade panels, plastic is almost everywhere in new buildings.

But global numbers are telling a much more serious story.

Global Facts We Can’t Just Ignore

According to the United Nations Environment Programme:

• The world produces more than 400 million tons of plastic every year.

• Around 50% of it is for single-use things.

• Less than 10% of global plastic is really recycled well.

• The construction sector uses around 20% of global plastic consumption, making it one of the biggest after packaging industry.

This means the buildings we build today are also contributing millions of tons of plastic that will become long-term waste.

The Carbon Footprint Nobody Really Talks About

Plastic is not only about trash. It is a petrochemical product.

^{The PVC ceiling has not been installed yet, Image source @kharrazi documentation}

Producing 1 kg of common plastic polymers like PVC or polyethylene can create around 2–6 kg of CO₂ equivalent, depending on the process and energy source.
For comparison:

• 1 kg of Portland cement ≈ 0.9 kg CO₂

• Steel ≈ 1.8–2 kg CO₂ per kg
  So some plastics actually have higher carbon intensity than steel per weight.

When we install a 100 m² PVC ceiling in a small building, we are basically locking hundreds of kilograms of carbon emissions into a single design decision.

Service Life vs Degradation Life

PVC ceilings are usually replaced in 10–20 years, for aesthetic or renovation reasons.

But the degradation period of plastics can reach:

• 100–300 years for PVC

• Up to 500 years for some synthetic polymers

Meaning the waste lifetime is 25–50 times longer than its useful life in the building.

We are building something that will become a burden for generations after us.

Microplastics: The Invisible Threat

Recent scientific reports show that plastic exposed to heat and UV can release microplastic particles and chemical additives.

Some interior plastic materials also emit VOCs, especially during early installation.

And in tropical climates like Aceh — high temperature and strong sunlight — degradation and particle release can happen even faster.

This is not only about landfill waste. It is also about indoor air quality.

The Hidden Economic Cost

According to global estimates often referenced by the World Bank, the economic losses from plastic pollution — including health impact and ecosystem damage — reach billions of dollars each year.

This cost doesn’t appear in any project budget plan.
It appears later as floods caused by clogged drains, health expenses, damaged coastal ecosystems, and the burden of local waste management.

We call plastic "cheap" because we don’t pay its full price immediately.

Architecture and Moral Responsibility

Early modernism, influenced by the Bauhaus, encouraged exploring new materials with a rational spirit.
But rationality today demands life-cycle assessment, not only unit price.

Architect Louis Kahn once talked about the “will of materials.”
If we ask honestly: Is the will of plastic actually sustainability?
Or just short-term efficiency?

Not Anti-Plastic, But Anti-Carelessness

Recycled plastics, bioplastics, modular systems — yes, they exist. Some progressive experiments even appear in forums like the Venice Biennale of Architecture.

^{Backdrop for the Aceh Jaya Regency People's Representative Council Meeting Room that I designed and worked on using WPC and LED strip lights, Image source, @kharrazi Documentation}

But the reality in everyday construction is different. Most use of plastic is not sustainable innovation — it is just a cheap substitution to make work faster and cost less.

And that is where the criticism needs to be pointed.

Conclusion: We Are Not Neutral

Every sheet of PVC we put is already an ecological choice, and every pipe or synthetic panel kind of becomes a small statement of what we actually prioritize. A building maybe stands only thirty years, but the waste from it can stay around three hundred, still there long after the building itself disappear. So when we choose plastic, we are not really neutral at all; we are basically pushing the burden forward in time, giving it to future generations who never even got the chance to say anything about our decisions.

So the question is not whether plastic is practical.
The question is:

Are we brave enough to build responsibly, even when it is not the cheapest option?

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your architect @kharrazi

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REFERENCE:

Global Plastic Production & Consumption

1. Global plastic production & low recycling rates
   UNDP – Plastic pollution (430+ million tons annually, <10% recycled)
   https://www.undp.org/chemicals-waste/plastic-pollution
2. Global plastics production ~400 million tons
   Nature – Global plastics production figure (~400 Mt)
   https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02169-5
3. OECD Global Plastics Outlook (recycling, lifecycle)
   OECD – Global Plastics Outlook report
   https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2022/02/global-plastics-outlook_a653d1c9.html
4. OECD plastics production/use growth (~435 million tons)
   OECD – Plastics data summary
   https://www.oecd.org/environment/plastics/

Recycling, Waste, & Microplastics

1. Plastic recycling behavior (<10% recycled)
   UNDP – Plastic pollution (recycling & waste distribution details)
   https://www.undp.org/chemicals-waste/plastic-pollution
2. Microplastics leakage & environmental impact
   OECD – Plastics: environmental impacts
   https://www.oecd.org/environment/plastics/

Environmental Impact & Carbon Emissions

1. Carbon footprint of plastics (lifecycle emissions)
   OECD – Plastics lifecycle & greenhouse gas emissions
   https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2022/02/global-plastics-outlook_a653d1c9.html
2. Economic damage from plastic pollution
   UNEP – Plastic waste causes financial damage to marine ecosystems
   https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/plastic-waste-causes-financial-damage-us13-billion-marine-ecosystems
3. Majority of plastics are single-use
   UBS – Unpacking the true cost of plastic
   https://www.ubs.com/global/en/sustainability-impact/our-insights/2024/true-cost-of-plastic.html

Plastics in the Construction Sector

1. Plastic consumption in construction (sectoral analysis)
   World Bank – Plastics landscape investigation
   https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/c78e60fa-1664-4286-9cab-1783fbe93a0a

Additional Relevant Statistics

1. Plastic lifecycle & durability risks (environmental threats)
   WWF Indonesia – PLASTIK overview
   https://www.wwf.id/id/learn/climate-market/plastic