Today, the average consumer of plastic comes into daily contact with all kinds of plastic materials that have been developed specifically to defeat natural decay processes. People are using it endlessly just for the easiness. No one realises that plastic is harming our planet.
You go to any of road, park, public place, you could find lot of plastic debris lying here and there. It has failed the Swatch Bharat Abhiyan of PM Narendra Modi . Laws are there but people in India are not following these laws. The MCD is also responsible for its mismanagement on this front. There is no disposal management of such waste in India on behalf of civic body.
Today is world environment day and on this occasion we should teach our children to avoid using plastic. In addition, the government must take stringent measures to stop plastic pollution before it gets too late.
Moreover, many lightweight single-use plastic products and packaging materials, which account for approximately 50 % of all plastics produced, are not deposited in containers for subsequent removal to landfills, recycling centres, or incinerators. Instead, they are improperly disposed of at or near the location where they end their usefulness to the consumer. Dropped on the ground, thrown out of a car window, heaped onto an already full trash bin, or inadvertently carried off by a gust of wind, they immediately begin to pollute the environment.
Plastic has become one of the most used substances. It is seen everywhere these days. The main reason is that plastic is very cheap. It costs lesser than other alternatives like paper and cloth.
Secondly, it is very easy to use. Plastic can be used for almost anything either liquid or solid. Moreover, it comes in different forms which we can easily moulded.
The plastic is a non-biodegradable material. It does not leave the face of the Earth. It cannot be dissolved in land or water, it remains forever.
Impact of Plastic Pollution
Plastic Pollution is affecting the whole earth, including mankind, wildlife, and aquatic life. It is spreading like a disease which has no cure. We all must realize the harmful impact it has on our lives so as to avert it as soon as possible.
Plastic pollutes our water. Each year, tonnes of plastic are dumped into the rivers and ultimately ocean. As plastic does not dissolve, it remains in the water thereby hampering its purity. This means we won’t be left with clean water in the coming years.
The plastic pollutes our land as well. When humans dump Plastic waste into landfills, the soil gets damaged. It ruins the fertility of the soil. In addition to this, various disease-carrying insects collect in that area, causing deadly illnesses.
In short, we know that plastic pollution is ruining everyone’s life on earth. We must take major steps to prevent it. We must use alternatives like cloth bags and paper bags instead of plastic bags. If we are purchasing plastic, we must reuse it. We must avoid drinking bottled water which contributes largely to plastic pollution.
Disclaimer: The purpose of this article to make community aware about the impact of plastic and remind the world environment day.