Plastic and the environment

PLASTICS AND THE ENVIORNMENT

When we go to a shop to buy something, the shopkeepr gives those things in polythene bags. Mineral water and soft drinks are available in plastics bottles. Sometimes, we use disposable thermocol plates and cups in social gatherings. So, a lot of plastic waste is generated daily and this plastics waste keeps on accumulating in our homes. Ultimately, plastics finds it's way to the garbage.

Plastics waste is a big threat to our environment because plastics are non-biodegradable substances. Substances that can't breakdown easily into simple, harmless substances through natural processes such as the action of bacteria are called non-biodegradable substances. Synthetic fibres are also non-biodegradable substances.

Substances that can easily be broken down into simple harmless substances by the action of bacteria are called biodegradable substances. Peels of vagetables and fruits, leftover foodstuff, paper, cotton, wool, etc., are biodegradable substances.

Bioplastics have been made by scientists by using natural materials such as corn starch and vagetable oil. These plastics are used in making disposable items. They are biodegradable and thus enviorifriendly.

Disposal of plastics wastes leads to the following health and enviornment hazards:

1. Plastics wastes do not get completely burnt and produce toxic goes and smoke that cause air pollution.
2. When plastics wastes are dumped in water, they cause water pollution.
3. Most of the plastic wastes dumped in landfills, cause soil pollution. Since, plastics burried in the soil can't be decomposed by micro-organism, they prevent rainwater from seeping into the earth. Thus, water remains on the Earth's surface and forms muddy pool.
4. We throw polybags, wrappers of chips, biscuits and other eatable, disposable plastics bottles, etc., On the road or in parks. This not only makes the place look ugly but also provides breeding grounds for many disease- causing germs and insects.
5. Polybags, carelessly thrown here and there, are responsible for clogging drains and sewer lines.
6. Animals eat food wastes from the garbage dumps. During eating the food wastes, they sometimes swallow polythene bags and wrappers of food also. The plastic materials choke their respiratory system or sometimes digestive tract and can be the cause of their death.

Solution to problems created by plastics

As responsible citizens we must remember the golden 5-R principle - Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover. We should be enviornment friendly in all our activities.

1. We should avoid the use of plastics. For example, we should not ask for plastic bags when we go for shopping. Instead, we should carry cotton or jute bags.
2. We should clean and dry plastics bags, plastic containers and plastics disposable bottles for reuse.
3. We should use two types of bins- a green bin and a blue bin for disposing wastes. Biodegradable wastes such as peels of fruits and vagetables, leftover food, paper and cotton should be thrown in the green bin. Non-biodegradable wastes like plastics waste and glass should be thrown in the blue bin. These collected plastics are then melted and recycled.
4. We should not thrown plastic disposable bottles, polybags, wrappers, etc., On the roads.
5. We should not dispose of articles made of plastic in the sewage system.

Presently, all kinds of thermoplatics are melted together to produce recycled plastics. For example, the black plastic bags are made from recycled plastics.

We should develop enviornment-friendly habits to reduce the harmful effects associated with plastic.