Plastic pollution is one of the most dangerous and hot issues in this modern world, simply plastic pollution means the presence of all those heaps of garbage which is containing plastic waste as water bottles, bags, and other households which is thrown after use growing collectively and increasing millions of tons each day all over the world and affects animals, sea life and human on a massive scale hazardously is known as plastic pollution.
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Categories of plastic pollutants:-
MICRO AND MACRO Pollutants are the types of plastic pollutants. Plastic items are cheaper than others and affordable, which increases sales and usage of plastic.
Plastic affects not only humans who produce plastic but also the land, water bodies, wildlife, marine life. We use plastic from morning to night in different forms as spoons, chairs, bags, and a daily usable pen too made of plastic. Moreover, when we throw those things out. Converts in a massive collection because it takes years to degrade.
Types of plastic:- there are seven types of plastic types among those are PVC, pp, ps and PET.
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Effects of plastic pollution:-
Humans are suffering from several diseases because of pollution, where humans throw those useless things out in the river. By this the underwater lives are struggling with plastic so many species are in danger because of the presence of plastic in seas the coastal states and sea surrounded countries throw garbage in water which takes millions of years to break down, tiny sea species trapped into, fishes get into the heaps of plastic in the water.
Also, their fertility got affected by plastic, plastic entered in the food chain and became the reason for diseases and other harms in human and wild and sea life, so many tiny species are on the verge of end. The quality of soil is also decreased.
The fertility of soil lacks plastic, and wild animals are losing their lives after eating plastic garbage. Not only this but also after burning harmful plastic particles enters in air and causes various lung diseases.
Harmful chemicals are destroying the reproductive system of species, and thyroid hormone is getting affected by plastic. Land, air and water being polluted, being the reason for flawed drainage systems closing drainage, and a profound ecosystem change.
Types of plastic based on use:-
There are two categories one is single-use plastic, and the other is multiple-use plastic. Multiple-use of plastic is more valuable than single-use plastic,
- Single-use plastic is the kind of plastic item that is based on the use and throw formula.
- Water Bottles, rappers, cheaper pens.
- It is the most used plastic and valuable for a single time.
Govt. Policies on plastic use:-
- Government is very much concerned about plastic pollution:
- Govt. decided to decrease the use of single-use plastic.
- Banned plastic bags and promoted cloth bags.
- They are replacing plastic degradable or recyclable plastic.
- They are Running various planes to clean rivers.
- Categorized plastic.
- Sachcha Bharat Abhiyan and Kaveri call types of plan are run by the government, Private persons and environmentalists.
Challenges of plastic management:-
- Poor management of plastic waste.
- Great pacific garbage patch- we throw plastic in rivers and seas that travel on water waves and collectively take a plastic island in the Pacific sea.
- Online and e-commerce companies are proliferating, and the use of packaging fool and other items is getting higher in the past few years.
- According to a report, microplastic is taking part in the atmosphere and trapped by clouds and falling snow.
- The fine form of microplastics being eaten by fishes on water surfaces and being the reason for fishes’ death.
Solution:-
- Reduce usage of plastic: govt should actively take decisions and enforce laws for the elimination of plastic.
- Reuse we must stop using plastic and think about and use those plastic items or alternative items which are helpful for more than two times it will help in deduction of plastic.
- Recycling has different types of plastic, few are easy to recycle, and others are tough in recycling or recyclable. There is a need to use selectively recyclable plastic in routine.
- Increase in recycling plants and plastic collective units.
- Recovery
- The landfill is the last option in the row of solutions, and it’s essential to dump plastic inland away from cities and water bodies.
- Use traditional bags.
International concern:-
India has ten times less per capita plastic consumption than America. Developing countries are the most severe pollution in growing countries, also sending their garbage to developing countries. It needs international and national policies to get rid of plastic.
- World Environment day 2018 themed “beat plastic pollution” shows concerns about the issue.
- Group of 20 introducing a new framework to tackle plastic debris.
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Steps required to solve the issue:-
- Awareness:- awareness is the highest demand for a plastic waste solution. We should be aware of society and ordinary people about plastic harms in personal and environmental terms.
- Promote alternatives: By promoting plastic replacing alternatives, it will be a significant changing key factor in the plastic waste solution.
- Reduction in tax and abolishing taxes will increase the use of less harmful plastics.
- Expanding the use of degradable plastic: expanding degradable or recyclable plastic is a significant need of time now.
- Use the microbeads.
- Tackle the most problematic single-use plastic: eliminating single-use plastic and reducing the production of single-use plastic and polythene materials will help tackle the issue.
- Enforcement of laws effectively and steadily: we need laws and regulations to tackle the issue and need their active enforcement.
- Monitoring and adjusting plastic waste, the compelling collection will give a push to plastic tackling goals.
Plastic became a part of human life, and we are entirely dependent on plastic. It is necessary to understand the harms of plastic and not go with this cheaper but hazardous product. Thousands of humans, animals and sea species are losing lives, and our basic need for water is getting polluted by plastic. Awareness, public support and the government need to do something. Policies can kill this devil. We need to be focused on plastic solutions.
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