article writing in plastic pollution
Answers
While plastic has many valuable uses, we have become addicted to single-use or disposable plastic — with severe environmental consequences.
Around the world, one million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute, while up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used worldwide every year. In total, half of all plastic produced is designed to be used only once — and then thrown away.
Plastic waste is now so ubiquitous in the natural environment that scientists have even suggested it could serve as a geological indicator of the Anthropocene era.
So how did we get here?
From the 1950s to the 70s, only a small amount of plastic was produced, so plastic waste was relatively manageable.
By the 1990s, plastic waste generation had more than tripled in two decades, following a similar rise in plastic production.
In the early 2000s, our output of plastic waste rose more in a single decade than it had in the previous 40 years.
Today, we produce about 300 million tonnes of plastic waste every year. That’s nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population.
Researchers estimate that more than 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been produced since the early 1950s. About 60% of that plastic has ended up in either a landfill or the natural environment.
We’re seeing some other worrying trends. Since the 1950s, the rate of plastic production has grown faster than that of any other material. We’ve also seen a shift away from the production of durable plastic, and towards plastics that are meant to be thrown away after a single use.
More than 99% of plastics are produced from chemicals derived from oil, natural gas and coal — all of which are dirty, non-renewable resources. If current trends continue, by 2050 the plastic industry could account for 20% of the world’s total oil consumption.
These single-use plastic products are everywhere. For many of us, they’ve become integral to our daily lives.
Answer:
Plastic Pollution
Plastics are things or objects made of organic polymers or synthetic compounds. Plastic was seen as a boon because it is easily available, cheap, and can be used to manufacture things of all shapes and sizes. But the overuse of plastic has led to pollution of enormous proportion with many harmful consequences.
Effects
Plastic products are not bio-degradable and can remain unchanged for many years. Durability is a property we want in the products that we use. But the durability of plastic resulted in the piling of plastic trashes in the form of plastic bags, plastic water bottles, and other plastic containers.
Plastics are a health hazard. Exposure to toxic chemicals emitted by plastics causes cancer, weakens the immune system, and is responsible for many other diseases.
Plastic garbage has created an unhygienic condition in our environment. Disposable of plastic litter has become a major difficulty in our towns and cities.
Since it is not biodegradable, plastics adversely affect the fertility and the quality of the soil.
Freshwater sources like rivers and lakes are becoming dumpsters for plastic bags.
Plastic wastes, especially plastic bags find their way into rivers and oceans. They are swallowed by fish, seabirds, and other marine creatures leading to death by suffocation.
Plastic bags, plastic bottles, and other discarded plastic products do not degrade. They accumulate in drainage systems and block the flow of water causing waterlogging.
Plastic is often disposed of by burning and this releases poisonous gases into the atmosphere. This pollutes the air that we breathe and escalates global warming.
Prevention
To prevent plastic pollution, the reduction of the use of plastic products is the first step. If the demand is less, production will decrease. Say "No" to plastic bags. Refuse any plastic bags from shop owners when shopping. Carry your shopping bag.
Carefully separate plastic waste from other garbage for recycling.
Stop buying plastic products. Replace plastic bags with bags made of biodegradable materials like cotton and jute and recycled paper bags.
Stop burning plastic as a means of waste disposal. The toxic gases released pollute the air we breathe. It increases global warming.
Educate other people about the dangers of plastic products and how to reduce plastic pollution.
Don't buy bottled water. Always carry your non-plastic water bottle.
Everyone must participate in the movement to clean up land and water from plastic wastes.
Selie Visa