The environment that we live in is getting polluted in one or the other manner every day. Taking care of our surroundings is our job yet, there are a lot of reasons that we all make. There are different kinds of pollution, and as we all know, some of the most common pollutants are air, water, soil, and noise pollution. Well, along with this, along with these things, there is another major contributor to environmental pollution, and that is plastic.
Plastic has been used for different purposes. Right from carrying the household things like groceries, milk, and milk products to furniture. Everything that you want is available in plastic since they are cheap and also available in abundance. But, are they environment-friendly? So, what can we do to stop plastic pollution?
Well, there are different kinds of plastic, and understanding the grades of these materials become highly essential. There are low and high-grade plastics, but, ultimately, the material plastic is not biodegradable. They cause a lot of hazardous issues to the environment we live in. Some of the major drawbacks of using plastic are as follows, and knowing what we can do to stop plastic pollution is also important.
Hazardous issues to the environment of using plastic
Plastic is flammable
Flammability is one of the major side-effects of plastic. When you burn plastic it releases harmful gases that are extremely toxic in nature. These gases can cause a lot of health issues, which can even cause deaths at times.
Recycling is very expensive
Of course, the concept of recycling is possible with plastic too, but the cost is very expensive. Also, recycling the low quality plastics cannot be recycled as they do not decompose in the soil. The residues are always there, and they can turn poisonous. Hence, this is one of the major disadvantages of plastic.
The threat to animal life
Animals contribute to the major part of biodiversity, and unless, and with the use of plastics, a lot of animals are becoming extinct. When the plastic is disposed into the water bodies, a lot of aquatic animals end up consuming it and get killed.
Also, a lot of cattle end up consuming plastic and end up suffering from severe health issues. There have been a lot of animal activists who have been working on getting these things sorted, but, over a period of years, things have only become worse. Hence, the only way to solve this problem is by reducing the usage of plastic and slowly ban them.
Now that we are aware of the negative impacts that are caused by plastic, it is essential to understand the ways to stop plastic pollution. There are several measures to stop this but, as everything starts with a small step so, does this as well. There has to be a revolution created to ban the plastic, and here, we have written about a few of them that can be immediately implemented.
What can we do to stop plastic pollution?
Stop buying water in plastic bottles
As we all know, there are a lot of water manufacturing companies, and these water bottles are all made of plastic. Most of the people dispose of the empty water bottles on the streets, and these are low-grade plastic. Hence, recycling them would certainly be a difficult thing to do. Instead, carrying our own reusable water bottles can be a better idea. This can, in fact, reduce the usage of plastic.
Take a cloth bag
When you are shopping, you must make sure to carry your own bags. These bags are to be made of fabric, and this is going to reduce the usage of plastic quite a lot. Generally, most of the retail stores and also shopping malls have the tendency to provide plastic bags to their customers. Again, these polythene bags are the cheapest grade plastic bags that are manufactured. The majority of the people end up throwing these bags on the street, and recycling can be really difficult. Hence, this is one of the other things that you could do to reduce plastic pollution.
Avoid ordering food from outside
With the advanced technology kicking in, there are a lot of online food delivery companies who pack food in plastic boxes. There are a few plastic boxes that can be reused, but the majority of them would have to be discarded. Using these boxes again may never happen, and they are certainly going to contribute towards the environment pollution.
Never carry water bottles or polythene bags while trekking
Cities are already being spoilt. Let us at least keep the mountains, the rivers, and jungles plastic-free zones. People who are fond of trekking and mountaineering should make it a practice to carry their own reusable containers and bottles to fill their food and water. This would avoid the littering of plastic and making them part of nature.
Make use of the dustbins
Ensure to use the dust-bins as much as possible. If you find someone throwing plastic on the roads or anywhere else kindly, pick them up and leave them in the dust-bin. This is not just going to help you reduce plastic usage, but, on the whole, it is going to help you save the environment as well.
Avoid usage of balloons and straws
Celebrations can happen even without balloons and straws. Most of the parties make use of balloons and then discard them easily without knowing the harmful effects that these things can cause. Both balloons and straw are made of plastic, and these are again non-recyclable materials. Therefore, avoiding these things can actually help you to save the environment from plastic.
Sort the plastic
Sorting plastic is also one of the best things to do when you are discarding it. When the waste truck comes, the plastic has to be handed over to them in the same manner, and this can actually make the recycling process easy.
Well, these are some of the ways that one can control the usage of plastic. Plastic has become a major bane to the environment. We must realize that we can live without plastics, but we would never be able to survive and sustain without nature is intact. So, protecting the environment and keeping it free of plastic is the responsibility of everyone.
Read more https://www.glo-be.be/index.php/en/articles/14-tips-prevent-plastic-pollution
