Introduction:
Plastic is a man-made substance that is non-biodegradable and remains in the environment for thousands of years which cause immense pollution.
This disastrous element remains with us for thousands of years even when it is useless. In fact, this element has been used for thousands of years and our lives have never been free of it. Every aspect of our life includes plastic in it which includes medical equipment, travel, in markets, or anywhere even while sitting at home we need it and we can never get rid of it. But we cannot deny the reality that plastic has also played an important role in the economic development of our world. It has proved to be a wonder material and resource to industries.
On contrary to this blessing belief, plastic has also been destroying our nature and making it polluted. It is very important to ban plastic before it ruins our world. Many countries and regions in the world have banned plastic but the problem still exists in some regions.
Should plastic be banned?
This question has been the main concern of people in recent years. It is due to the awareness of the damage that plastic causes to our environment and for conserving this planet for future generations.
Even having a deep knowledge of the damage that plastic is causing to our environment this issue of banning plastic is still being degraded. People are still using plastic bags just because of their ease to carry them instead of considering their long-term consequences. Hence for the sake of our ecosystem and earth, we should abandon using plastic bags and other equipment made up of plastic.
Drawbacks of plastic bags:
There is no doubt we depend on plastic for making our stuff ranging from small pins to huge parts. It is due to a flexible material that the proliferation of plastic has been increased. From packaging our goods to aircraft plastic is being used in every single area of life. Although plastic has a lot of advantages and uses its drawbacks cannot be negligible as well.
Plastic bags have become life-threatening to our ecosystem and its creatures whether on earth or in water. Plastic bags have many negative effects on human health as well. As these bags are non-biodegradable, so as much they are produced by the companies their quantity increases in our environment. It shows that they are never removed from the environment and as much they are produced they pollute our planet.
A chemical that is released by plastic bags into the soil makes it infertile. These chemicals deplete the growth of trees and also reduce natural resources like water. Attempting to decompose these bags also creates air, water, and land pollution. This is the reason why these bags have been outlawed in many developed regions and countries of the world.
Plastic takes several years to breakdown and produce following negative impacts on our planet:
- Plastic causes pollution if we attempt to decompose it. Like burning it produces toxic fumes in the air.
- Plastic takes thousands of years in decomposition and releases the greenhouse gases when it is exposed to ultraviolet rays.
- Exposing plastic in landfill contaminates the ground water.
- Harmful dyes of the plastic bags can affect our foodstuff.
- Plastic bags are harmful for pets and marine life as well.
Plastic bags can be problematic to the drainage systems. Hence plastic causes hazards for animals, plants, trees, and marine lives as well it should be banned.
Significance of plastic ban:
Since plastic is a non-biodegradable material and stays in the environment for more than 500 years. Enzymes and bacteria cannot decompose plastic because plastic is not made up of natural materials. This material is made by man. So, plastic is mostly dumped in oceans and seas. The hazardous chemicals in plastic seep into seas and oceans which are found in the fishes we eat. In this way, plastic contaminates which we assume to be removed, slowly make their way back to our body through the food chain. Humans started consuming plastic through their food chain. A plastic is equal to the weight of a debit card consumed yearly by a person.
Components of plastic mimic hormones like estrogen which causes severe damage to our health and disrupt the natural hormonal balance in our bodies. It is a threat to the wildlife which consumes plastic in their food. Many turtles and fish face digestive disorders and die just because of the intake of plastic exposed to the seas.
Since plastic is dumped carelessly without recycling, it causes harmful impacts to our ecosystem. It is important to need time to ban plastic bags and replace them with other bamboo or cloth bags. Several countries have banned the usage of plastic bags to save their aquatic as well as ground creatures. The surveys showed that banning plastic decreased the number of fatal diseases. This is a purely man-made material and human consumes all the life hazardous chemicals while preparing it. So, we should ban plastic or try to use one plastic bag several times instead of dumping it in one use.
Hindrance in banning plastic:
No doubt those plastic bags are the major source of contaminating our landscape but banning plastic can be problematic in many ways.
Plastic bags are easy to carry and used worldwide. Due to their cheap and convenient to carry services they are widely used in many areas of the world. Plastic bags require a lot of energy to prepare, but they are not the only cause of plastic pollution. Only a ratio of plastic is debris so instead of banning reusing recycling can be the best option.
Robbing consumers for such convenient services can shift them to more harmful alternatives. It will be problematic in banning plastic while finding a good alternative to it.
Alternatives of plastic bags:
Due to the harmful effects that plastic exposes to our ecosystem, we should replace them with some other convenient carriers like
- Paper bag that are 100% biodegradable than the plastic bags
- Jute bags
- Canvas bags
- Cotton bags
- Basket bags
- Bamboo bags
Consequences of banning plastic bags:
Banning plastic will be proved to be helpful in reducing street littering and removing plastic wastes. Also, banning plastic will convey a global message of keeping the environment clean from contaminates. It will inculcate awareness in the people of different regions and countries to deplete the natural bodies of earth. Local and green industries will get much more support in investment to come up with solutions.
Banning plastic may have some negative aspects on the economic growth of a country. We rely on plastic for almost all the needs of our daily life. So banning plastic will affect our economy as well.
Conclusions:
Although plastic is a big threat to all of us, still this problem is being underestimated. People do not consider the long-term effects of problems caused by this material. People feel convenience in using these bags as they are cheap and easy to carry. But we should understand the contamination caused by these particles. Since plastic is non-biodegradable and needs a lot of effort and energy to recycle, we should ban this life threat. Moreover, plastic bags can be replaced by paper bags.