Plastic pollution

Main uses of plastic• The most used form of plastic is plastic bag. More than fifty

percent of plastic bags we use in daily life are not reused and recycled. The first ever plastic bag made in the earth is still in existence somewhere. Annually approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. More than one million bags are used every minute.

• Plastics are used in agricultural field, electrical appliances, vehicles, food and others. It takes thousand years to decompose plastic bags completely.

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plastic pollution: A major environment problem

• From food to shelter, health to technology plastic has moulded our life. The chemical building blocks that make plastics so versatile (inexpensive, durable, easily mouldable and portable) are the same components harming our health, daily life, environment and ecosystem.

Effects of plastics

HEALTH• Chemicals migrates from plastic package to food they contain.

These chemicals have carcinogenic effects on health. • Skin disease can results from the contact with chemicals of

plastics.•Disease related to fertility, reproduction, sexual maturation are the

major problems of plastics.•hormonal defect mainly sex hormones, thyroid hormones are seen

and in some cases endocrine disruption can also occur.•growth rate declines in children and mental health also get

affected.

ENVIRONMENT

•Chlorinated plastics release harmful chemicals into surrounding soil which seeps into underground water resources.

•Biodegradable plastics when broken down releases methane causing greenhouse effect.

•Due to lightweight and aerodynamic nature of plastics most of the plastics either floats or carried by wind to ocean which pollutes water.

ANIMALS• Marine animals get entangled in the plastic debris causing

death. They get end up by suffocation or drowning.• Some animals consume on plastic which kills them either

by blocking their stomachs and starving them, or through puncturing their intestinal system.

• Some chemicals present in plastic has adverse effect on bird as they accumulate in body tissues and have serious lethal effects on a bird's reproductive ability, immune system, and hormone balance.

• Developmental defects in animals can also be seen as an effect of plastic.

Ways to reduce plastic use

• Biodegradable plastic can be the alternative.

• Reusable bags must be promoted. We must carry our own bag for shopping and other use.

• Plastic products can be recycled.

• Eco-friendly bags like Paper bags, jute bags, cotton bags can be the best alternatives.

• Plastic medicinal equipments must not be land filled. Instead they can be combusted to reduce disease transmission

• We can lessen using CD’s by downloading required items.

• The price of plastics can be increased so that people give less preference to use it.

• We never reuse the items like coffee mug, straw, water bottles, plates but they can be reused which helps in controlling pollution.

• Stopping the use of bottled water as it is no safer than tap water due to chemicals contained in it.

• Plastic utensils can be replaced by metal utensils.

• Plastic dustbins can be replaced by bamboo or paper dustbins.

Participant of GIS Taiwan 2015U++ Competition

SHWETA ADHIKARI