From plastic water jugs to large capacity jars, plastic is a widely used material in the United States, both for personal use as well as purposes of industry. Plastic water jugs and plastic water bottles are particularly popular, providing the incredibly necessity of regular hydration and clean water in a convenient package, allowing everyone from students to backpackers to have access to a source of water even when it is not easy to find elsewhere in their surroundings. In fact, in the United States alone as many as two and half million plastic water bottles are consumed each and every hour, marketed from a number of plastic bottle supplies and with a variety of plastic bottle designs as well. On a global scale, the entire world goes through around six hundred billion pounds of plastic on just a yearly basis, and with the widespread use of plastic water jugs and plastic bottles (as well as other popular items and products that are made, at least in part, of plastic) this number is rising by as much as five percent each and every year at a consistent rate of growth.

Here in the United States, the plastic manufacturing industry, which makes everything from plastic water jugs to plastic toys for children, has brought much success to the country. In fact, the industry of the manufacturing of plastic products makes up the third largest industry in the entirety of the United States, helping to keep the country strong and financially sound in the money that it contributes to the economy through the production of plastic and items made with it. In just the span of time of one year, the United States alone will manufacture more than ten billion pounds of plastic, nearly eleven billion pounds – a number that continues to rise as the years pass on. Though the United States plastic industry has a profoundly positive effect on the economy – contributing around and at least three hundred and seventy five billion dollars by the time that each year is over – it is also an industry that promotes the creation of jobs and helps to reduce unemployment with the gainful employment of many as well. In fact, there are currently as many as one million people employed in some part of the plastics industry all throughout the United States.

And from plastic water jugs to plastic handleware and even plastic storage jars, plastic uses are many. For those who are unsure about using plastic on a daily basis for fear of contributing to the total waste generated in the United States, it is important to realize that very little plastic can be used to create hugely useful items. To name just one example out of many, a mere two pounds of plastic can be used to provide as much as ten gallons of beverages, which can and will often range from different juices to water to soda. If you were to use an alternate material such as aluminum in the place of plastic water jugs (or plastic juice or soda jugs, as it were), you would need as much as three pounds of the stuff to have the same effect. And if steel were to successfully hold and carry ten pounds of drinkable liquid, you’d need eight pounds of it to get the job done. Therefore, plastic is often the economical and even environmentally friendly choice and plastic water jugs can be hugely useful for a number of purposes, from the personal to the industrial.

Plastic is an important part of the United States as it operates today. In fact, it is likely that you have used plastic or an item that incorporated plastic at least once throughout the day, if not even more frequently than that. From plastic packaging to plastic water jugs, plastic is everywhere, and it helps to not only support the economy of the United States, but to provide jobs to those that need them in this country as well. Plastic and the industry of manufacturing plastic and plastic products are only likely to become more essential in the months and the years to come.