write an article on the environmental problems cause due to the use of plastic bag
Answers
Answer:
Millions of plastic bags are given out to consumers by supermarkets and stores to carry their goods in. They are also cheap, light, durable, easy to carry and in many cases, free. The most commonly used shopping bag is made of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). This type is used in the majority of supermarkets and stores. After these bags are used, they often end up in landfills or as litter, roughly only three percent of plastic bags is actually recycled per year (Planet Ark, 2011). The materials used in making plastic bags make them non-biodegradable. According to the science dictionary, 2011 refers to “these materials cannot be decomposed into environmentally safe waste materials by the action of soil bacteria.” These harmful substances are toxic and take approximately four hundred years to break down, or in this case photo-degrade; which is how plastics made from (HDPE) break down. Since they are not biodegradable, they remain in the environment and are absorbed in soil or water (Indian Centre for Plastics in the Environment, 2010). This essay will discuss the various harmful effects of plastic bags, and demonstrate the risks that these bags impose on humans, animals and the environment. It will also discuss a series of suggested solutions that could help reduce plastic bag usage.
Although plastic bags appear to be fragile and light, their negative environmental effect is devastating. Plastic bags may cause large amounts of pollution in every step of their limited life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials, production, transportation, and recycling or disposal. Plastic bags can be defined as the most damaging form of environmental pollution. They can have a damaging effect on marine animals and wildlife in addition to the aesthetic effects on beaches, parks, and trees. Plastic bags are potentially one of the main causes of death to marine animals (Harbor keepers,2008). Up to one hundred thousand marine animals or more die each year from eating plastic bags which are mistaken for food. This can result in blocking the animal’s intestines and possibly lead to the animal’s death. Another possible situation is that wildlife, such as birds, can get tangled in plastic bags causing choking and immobility, which may eventually lead to death. (Senior, 2008) and (Citizen Campaign, 2010). In other situations, after plastic bags photo degrade they remain toxic and could be eaten by fish, shellfish or any other marine life and survive this allows the toxins to enter our food chain through bioaccumulation (Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, 2011).
Step-by-step explanation:
Answer:
Disposable shopping bags are convenient, but they are a major source of waste and pollution in our society. In this guide, we will teach you about how plastic shopping bags damage the environment. We also will discuss alternatives to using plastic shopping bags.
With this information, you will be able to make an impact in your community to reduce waste and pollution.
Plastic shopping bags present many problems to the world. Below are the biggest ones.Plastic shopping bags on land are one of the most common types of litter. Build ups of huge quantities of plastic bags are well known to block local drainage systems, especially in developing countries. For example, the floods in Bangladesh 20 years ago were partially attributed to blockages in drainage systems from plastic shopping bags. Plastic shopping bags also pose health risks to human populations over the years as they leach toxins into water supplies.
Plastic bags also are problematic to recycle. While the recyclable symbol of three arrows in a circle is on many plastic shopping bags in the US, it often is a marketing trick. There are no regulations about how that symbol is used, and every city and county in America has different regulations about what can be recycled. Many plastic bags that are collected by recycling companies cannot really be recycled. Most of these bags actually end up in landfills and sit there for hundreds of years.Midway Atoll in the North Pacific Ocean is the home of the biggest albatross colony on Earth. These birds fly there to next on these highly isolated islands, and they forage at sea, often hundreds of miles out, to look for food for offspring. Unfortunately, thousands of these precious birds have been found dead at Midway because they had ingested large amounts of plastic bag shards and pieces. All of the plastic that was found in these birds is brought to the island by adult birds who then feed it to young birds. It is estimated that four tons of plastic accumulates here daily.It is true that recycling plastic bags is problematic. That is the reason it is best to reuse plastic bags as much as possible. That said, there are ways that municipalities have been encouraging citizens to help them to recycle plastic bags.
One of the ways that plastic bags can be recycled is to place them in the recycling bin, with one caveat. People need to wad up the plastic bags into roughly the size of a soccer ball in some cities and tie it. Then, you can place the bags in the recycling bin. If you follow these steps, most city recycling facilities in the US can recycle the bags.