More and more plastic waste has polluted cities, the countryside and oceans. What problems does it cause and what measures can be taken?
The prevalence of plastic in packaging, together with insufficient recycling and improper disposal has created major plastic pollution crises in countries around the world. Carried by the wind, plastic has spread throughout countrysides and cities, while microplastics have polluted the oceans. After analyzing the environmental impact of the use of plastic, this essay will look at initiatives that can be taken to minimize this problem.
Plastics have become ubiquitous both on land and in oceans. When these products decompose, toxins can seep into the ground and get into the water supply. This can lead to numerous health problems for both humans and animals, including cancers. Apart from polluting human and animal habitats, plastics can be ingested by larger mammals. On the other hand, smaller animals can get trapped in bags or cans and suffocate. In the ocean, cables can wrap around whales’ fins and cause them to drown, while microplastics can be swallowed by marine inhabitants and affect the food supply, further impacting human health. In addition to contaminating food, plastic causes air pollution when burned, exacerbating health issues in both people and animals.
To conclude, the use of plastics has caused chronic environmental pollution with devastating effects on both marine and land animals, ultimately affecting humans due to the contamination of water, air and food supply. In order to battle this issue, efforts need to be made by both governments and private entities. Anti-pollution laws should be enforced while tapping into human ingenuity to clean up the plastic mess.
Clearly, a lot of resources are needed to reduce the impact of these products on the environment, so both governmental and non-governmental organizations need to work together to solve this problem. Governments could install water-refill stations in cities in order to promote use of nondisposable, reusable containers. At the same time, they can legislate use of plastic bags while requiring businesses to assume plastic responsibility. This can be achieved by increasing taxes for enterprises where plastic is used, which will force them to look for viable alternative packaging solutions. As well as promoting these measures, governments can institute fines for littering, which will help curb pollution in cities. On the other hand, philanthropists can sponsor engineers to create devices that can clean plastics in the oceans, while volunteers can help collect polluting petroleum materials both in costal areas and in the countrysides. (392 words)