Don Schoendorfer was vacationing in Morocco years ago when he saw a disabled woman drag herself across a dirt road, ignored by the crowds and barely evading traffic. Schoendorfer later learned that in developing countries, an estimated 100 million disabled people need wheelchairs but cannot afford them. These disabilities are due to many causes, including…
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Flu season. For many of us, aches, pains, sneezing and coughing will interrupt our holidays and winter plans. But we’re not defenseless. Many recent advances in flu fighting, including some made possible by plastics, can help us avoid the flu—and recover more quickly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend a yearly flu…
Read More…There’s nothing quite like ice-skating with loved ones to create fun holiday memories. Thanks to innovations in plastics, you won’t need a frozen pond or a chilly outdoor rink. You now can skate on plastic “ice” that never melts, indoors or outdoors—regardless of the season! How’s it possible to skate on plastics? Well, on natural…
Read More…Adhesive bandage strips recognized by kids everywhere are well known for protecting cuts and scrapes from the elements. With roots in homemade fabrics and gauzes, innovations in plastics helped adhesive bandages to become staples in medicine cabinets and first-aid kits across the country. Bandages in the early 1920s were made predominately of cotton, gauze and…
Read More…Natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes often destroy sources of clean drinking water. An innovative solution — in the form of a plastic pouch — provides lifesaving relief to survivors of these disasters. The HydroPackTM is a thin, 12 ounce plastic pouch that contains an electrolyte and nutrient-rich powder. When dropped into contaminated water,…
Read More…This article originally appeared in the December 2010 issue of the Plastics Make it PossibleSM Newsletter. The World Health Organization estimates that two-thirds of the approximately 270 million hearing-impaired people around the globe live in developing nations. Yet fewer than 10 million hearing aids are manufactured annually—the costs simply outweigh the demand from the poor…
Read More…According to the World Health Organization, there were nearly 250 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2008. An estimated one million people in Africa die of malaria each year – mostly children. That’s one death every 45 seconds. Plastic nets treated with insecticides that ward off malaria-carrying mosquitoes save countless lives and are one of…
Read More…The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that plastic fiber seat belts saved 15,147 lives in 2007 in the U.S. alone, making them one of the most important safety features in our cars and trucks. Compared to unbelted vehicle occupants, NHTSA estimates that today’s seat belts reduce fatalities by 45 percent and serious injury…
Read More…From First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign to the CDC’s Verb initiative, kids are being urged to get off the couch and onto the sports field. Public health officials encourage parents to teach their children early the value of exercise and how it can help lead to a healthier life. But before parents rush…
Read More…A $10 billion grant announced in early 2010 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation kicked off a high profile “decade of vaccines,” focused on developing and delivering new vaccines to prevent deadly diseases around the world. While vaccine breakthroughs receive significant attention, less visible but equally vital is the need to deliver those vaccines…
Read More…Every so often, tragic accidents in winter sports elevate public discussions of ski helmets – particularly debates on whether wearing them should be mandatory. International data show that although head injuries account for no more than 15 percent of injuries to skiers and snowboarders overall, they are accountable for an estimated 87 percent of deaths.…
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