Plastic bags are the major source of environmental pollution. No one is unaware of the term “Environmental Pollution”. The Contamination of any physical or biological components of the earth, or atmosphere system to such an extent that natural environmental processes are affected. This is called environmental pollution.
Plastic as a whole is a non-biodegradable substance. Non-biodegradable means any substance which cannot be broken down or decomposed. It is a type of waste that cannot be ever decomposed by biological processes. Most of the inorganic substances are non-biodegradable.
What Is Plastic Made of?
Several toxic chemicals are added in addition to plastic to make its performance better. It includes lead, mercury, and cadmium which are highly toxic. Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DAHP) which are a very serious carcinogen. Endocrine disruption leads to a weak immune system, number of dangerous cancerous and developmental problems in children.
What are Plastic Bags?
A plastic bag, polybag, or pouch is a type of container made of thin, flexible, plastic film, nonwoven fabric, or plastic textile. Plastic bags always remain in the earth’s natural environment as waste. Synthetic bags are now polluting our earth’s environment for hundreds of years. However, It is now become very essential to ban plastic for the safety and protection of the earth.
Problems Caused By synthetic plastic Bags
There are numerous drawbacks to plastic bags. Here is the list of problems caused by plastic especially plastic bags.
1. Non-Biodegradable
As plastic bags are non-biodegradable so they are very harmful to our environment and cause serious threats to the natural structure of the earth.
2. Destroying Natural Environment
Plastic has very harmful effects on our land and environment. Plastic bags have become the main cause of land pollution today. Moreover, when plastic bags go into the water at sea level it causes water pollution. So we can say that plastic is the main reason for deteriorating our environment in every possible way.
3. Cause Of Many Human Illness
Plastic bags produced in factories release toxic chemicals which are very harmful to the human body. These toxic chemicals produced by plastic bags are the main causes of serious illness in humans.
They pollute the Earth and bring serious damage to human health. Some Adverse health effects caused by plastic are asthma pulmonary cancer, liver damage, nerve and brain damage, kidney diseases, etc.
4. Clogged sewage problems
As plastic bags are biodegradable that’s why they are one of the main reasons for trapping the drains, especially during rains. This results in floods it disrupts the normal life of people.
Reasons Why Government Wants To Ban Plastic Bags
There are numerous reasons why the government wants to ban plastic bags. Waste plastic bags are polluting the water and the environment. Plastic bags have become life-threatening for animals on land and in water. Synthetic plastic manufacturing companies excrete toxic chemicals. Which makes the soil unfertile and damages the irrigation system. Moreover, these toxics are extremely dangerous for living creatures who are in direct contact with contaminated soil or ground.
There are numerous reasons why the government wants to ban plastic bags. Waste plastic bags are polluting the water and the environment. Plastic bags have become life-threatening for animals on land and in water. Synthetic plastic manufacturing companies excrete toxic chemicals. Which makes the soil unfertile and damages the irrigation system.
Moreover, these toxics are extremely dangerous for living creatures who are in direct contact with contaminated soil or ground. In Addition, plastic bags are causing serious damage to human health and giving birth to several diseases. Plastic bags cause swear drainage problems which lead to a poor sewage system and also give rise to floods. In Addition, plastic bags are causing serious damage to human health and giving birth to several diseases.
Adverse Health Effects
Here is a brief tabular description of the adverse health effects caused by plastic and synthetic bags.
| Plastic Type | Common Uses | Adverse Health Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Polyvinylchloride (#3PVC) | Food packaging Plastic wrap, containers for toiletries. Cosmetics. Pacifiers, Toys, Crib bumpers. floor tiles. Shower curtains. | Can cause cancer. Birth defects, genetic changes. Chronic bronchitis. Ulcers, skin diseases. Deafness. Vision failure Indigestion. |
| Urea-Formaldehyde | Particleboard. Plywood, building insulation. Fabric finishes. | Formaldehyde is a suspected carcinogen and has been shown to cause birth defects and genetic changes. Inhaling formaldehyde causes: Cough. Swelling of the throat. Watery eyes. Breathing problems. Headaches. Rashes. Tiredness. |
| Phthalates (DEHP, DINP, and others) | Softened vinyl products manufactured with phthalates include: vinyl clothing Emulsion paint Footwear Printing inks Non-mouthing toys. Children’s products Product packaging Food wrap Vinyl flooring Blood bags and tubing. | Release of dioxins, mercury, and medical waste with PVC and phthalates is regularly causing: Endocrine disruption. Asthma. Developmental and reproductive effects. Cancer. Birth defects. Hormonal changes. |
| Polycarbonate, with Bisphenol | Water Bottles. | Scientists have said that very low doses of bisphenol can cause: Exposure to cancers. Impaired immune function. Diabetes. Hyperactivity. |
| Polyethylene (#1 PET) | Water and soda bottles. Carpet fiber. Chewing gum. Coffee stirrers. Drinking glasses. Food containers. Wrappers. Plastic bags. Squeeze bottles. Toys. | Suspected human carcinogen. |
| Polystyrene | Food containers for Meats, Fish, cheeses, and yogurt. Foam and clear clamshell containers and rigid plates. Clear bakery containers. Peanuts Packaging. Foam packaging. Audio cassette & CD cases Disposable cutlery. | Can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. Causes dizziness and unconsciousness. Migrates into food and stores in body fat. Elevated rates of lymphatic and hematopoietic cancers for workers. |
| Polyester | Bedding. Clothing. Disposable diapers. Food packaging. Tampons and upholstery. | Can cause eye and respiratory tract irritation and acute skin rashes. |
Health Strategies
The problems plastic bags and other non-degradable elements are causing are not unsolvable. We can eradicate these issues by implementing the following strategies.
Alternatives:
Good and ecofriendly alternatives of plastic bags can be jute or cloth bag.
Reuse:
We should use old plastic bags already present in our house as many times as we can. Moreover, we should try to lose the habit of using these bags. And move towards using cloth bags.
Awareness:
We should spread awareness about the harms of using plastic materials with the contribution of the government on a larger scale. Moreover, we need to implement this on ourselves too.
Inference
Although, plastic has become a threat to our environment, health, and future. But still, there are some people who overlook this danger because they don’t understand the long-term effects of this threat. This is high time for us to completely eradicate plastic from our lives for our healthy future. Otherwise, it is possible that we would not be able to cope with its environmental hazards.
