Plastic:A Red Signal For Our Planet

Muhammad Iqbal Lone

Abstract

Plastic is becoming a menace for our planet and all the living creatures that are living here. The use of plastics for different purposes like packaging, vehicle parts, baby toys, toothbrushes, carry bags, etc. is increasing day by day as the greed of human beings is increasing. Plastic items can save our money as being the most durable and cheap but the non-biodegradable nature and release of harmful chemicals make plastic a pollutant. Plastic waste causes soil pollution and water pollution. Plastics can also cause air pollution if burnt by the release of various harmful chemicals. Harmful chemicals like phthalates; cadmium, lead, vinyl chloride, etc. ultimately reach the human body and other living organisms through various food chains. After reaching the body, they cause various diseases like asthma, infertility, cancer, heart disease, neural disorders, allergic reactions, and so on. Plastic waste not only cause diseases but also makes the earth barren resulting in famine due to the failure of plants to grow. It is time to implement strict laws globally to avoid the overuse of plastic materials. The ban should not be only on polythene bags but also on the other packaging plastic materials. We must have to increase the use of biodegradable materials as an alternative to plastic for packaging and carry bags. Plastic waste is already present in water; soil must be collected with the help of many government and non-government agencies and recycle. We can also make roads, bricks, fuel from that plastic waste. Plastic waste is like cancer which shows mild symptoms at an early stage of its development and if not treated now, its severe impacts will make all the living organisms extinct including human beings (the main culprit of plastic).

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