In today’s word the usage of plastic bags has increased tremendously. Nearly one trillion plastic bags are created every single year. They are found in many different places. The world is using plastic bags since 1960s. You will see these bags in the markets. They are also available in different sizes. They are cheap and easy to carry that is why the use of these bags is extensive. We should also know that they are easy to carry but they also are very dangerous for the environment. It is impossible to eliminate them even if you burn it, it stays in the environment and pollutes land and water. They contain synthetic polymer; this is a substance which causes great harm if it is non – biodegradable. The wind easily blows them so they pollute our cities and even our oceans and they are also a threat for the marine life.
Plastic bags are not only hazardous for human beings but as well as for animals. When we throw the peals off fruit and vegetables in plastic bags the animals and the birds swallow pieces of plastic which causes diseases and makes them ill. They often choke their throat and suffocate themselves to death. Not only birds and animals but also the marine creatures mistake the plastic pieces for food and they eat them. It causes many health problems in them and the people who eat sea food can get ill if they have marine creatures who are suffering from illness. When the animals swallow plastic their digestive systems are damaged. A large number of innocent animals die due these plastic bags. When people go out for picnic, they carry food in plastic packing and they dispose the waste in the seas and rivers which pollutes the water. These bags are becoming on of the major causes of land pollution. The chemicals produced by plastic are toxic and it makes the soil impure. This makes hindrance in the growth of the plants. The agricultural land is also being affected by them. They are making the quality of soil less fertile. They also make the seeds damage that are sown in the ground. They are also interfering one of the major occupations of our country which is agriculture.
Large piles of plastic bags can clog the drain system and cause flooding. When the plastic is thrown into the water it outnumbers the amount of plankton present in the water. It also causes serious issues. Plastic pollution has become a huge globally.
Many businesses have switched to reusable bags to protect the environment. In United Kingdom, “a reusable bag” is also ‘” called bag for life”. These bags are reused many times. These bags are made up of fabric such as canvas, natural fibres such as jute. We can stitch our own cloth bags at home from our own clothes. These bags are environmentally friendly and they do not cause harm to the marine life or agriculture.
Biodegradable bags are seen as something magical by the public. These bags are capable of being decomposed by living organisms or by bacteria. These bags breakup into small pieces and easily enter the food chain by being consumed. Biodegradable bags need sunlight and oxygen for long period of time for degradation.
Plastic is a material made to last forever, yet 33 percent of all plastic - water bottles, bags and straws - are used just once and thrown away. Plastic cannot biodegrade; it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. When plastic is dumped in landfills, it interacts with water and form hazardous chemicals. When these chemicals seep underground, they degrade the water quality. Wind carries and deposits plastic from one place to another, increasing the land litter.
When plastic is produced, it's made from toxic materials such as benzene and vinyl hydrochloride. It is destined to be toxic from birth to forever. These chemicals are known to cause cancer, and the manufacturing byproducts contaminate our air and soil.
Toxic chemicals leach out of plastic and are found in the blood and tissue of nearly all of us. Exposure to them is linked to cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, endocrine disruption and other ailments.
Chemicals in plastic which give them their rigidity or flexibility (flame retardants, bisphenols, phthalates and other harmful chemicals) are oily poisons that repel water and stick to petroleum-based objects like plastic debris. So, the toxic chemicals that leach out of plastics can accumulate on other plastics. This is a serious concern with increasing amounts of plastic debris accumulating in the world's oceans.
Last month ban on plastic bag was announced in different cities of Pakistan. The ban on the sale and purchase of plastic bags was also recently enforced. The government has put a ban on the use of plastic bags in many cities but people continue to use these as these are still available in the market.
The government must take strict measures to ensure these are not used. Besides, each one of us should take it as a responsibility to stop using these. Ban on plastic bags can only be successfully implemented if each one of us stops using these sincerely. This is what a responsible citizen should do and we should join hands in that. Clean environment is such a pleasure for the mind and we can also save our plant and future by banning the plastic bags.
We need to switch to cloth bags. We humans have caused huge damage to our planet earth. We have degraded the environment and are continuing to do so every day. A switch from plastic bag to cloth bag can be our little effort to decrease pollution and save our environment.
Make it a practice to use jute bags, cloth bags or paper bags instead of plastic bags. Encourage others to do the same and let them follow your example. Spread awareness on the ill effects of plastic bags and be enthusiastic to go green. Switch over to an eco-friendly lifestyle.
