Question

questionnaire on survey on plastics

Answer 1

Plastic bag wastes pose serious environmental pollutions and health problems in humans and animals.
The situation is worsened in economically disadvantaged countries like Ethiopia. The objective of this
survey was to assess usage of plastic bags and their environmental impacts in Jimma City of Ethiopia.
A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 230 randomly selected respondents. The
results indicated that the larger proportion (176, 76.52%) of the respondents used plastic bags more
frequently than any other plastic products regardless of their age, occupation, and economic and
educational status. Low price (159, 69.13%) and easy availability (152, 66.08%) were the main reasons
for the widespread utilization of these products. Among the practices used for disposal of plastic bag
wastes, open dumping to surrounding areas (137, 59.56%) was a practice widely used by almost all the
residents of the city. Some of the major problems were animal death (167, 72.60%), blockage of sewage
lines (162, 70.43%), deterioration of natural beauty of an environment (144, 62.60%) and human health
problems (119, 51.73%). The findings of the present study also indicated that the trend of utilization of
plastic bags is increasing from time to time in spite of a good deal of awareness of the residents about
the adverse effects of these products. In order to reduce the problems associated with plastic bag
wastes, it is recommended to educate the public (1) not to use plastic bags, and (2) to use eco-friendly
alternative materials (bags) made from clothes, natural fibers and paper. City level legislation is also
highly recommended against indiscriminate use and disposal of plastic bag wastes as well as to end
free distribution of plastic bags by retailers.
Key words: Plastic waste, Jimma, plastic bags, environmental pollution, plastic bag waste, plastic products,
waste disposal, flying toilets, plastic bag ban.
INTRODUCTION
Plastic bags have been introduced in 1970’s (Williamson,
2003) and gained an increasing popularity amongst
consumers and retailers. They are available in huge
numbers and varieties across the world. It is estimated
that around 500 billion plastic bags are used every year
worldwide (Spokas, 2007; Geographical, 2005). This
widespread utilization is attributed to their cheapness and
convenience to use. The vast majority of these bags are
discarded as wastes usually after a single use. It is also
believed that after their entry into environment