Human-beings are addicted to plastic. Plastic has been a part of our lives since the 19th century but it wasn’t until 1980’s that it made its way in every household on earth. Who knew that accidentally discovered Polyethylene which would go on to become the most used material in the world will come at a huge environmental price- one that we’ll be paying off for years.
Single-use Plastics are most commonly found in our homes. Simply put, single-use plastics are those plastic materials that are meant for disposing off after a single usage, that means they are use and throw goods- like polythene bags, drinking bottle, bottle caps, wrappers, straws, plastic sachets, plastic cutleries, Styrofoam cups or plates and stirrers, etc. Plastics are non-biodegradable that means they cannot be decomposed naturally and may take thousands of years to disintegrate. Over time, heat and sun slowly break down plastic to smaller and smaller pieces until they become micro-plastic. Did you know that the microbeads used in facial scrubs and micro fibers in polyester clothing are also microplastic! Not more than 5mm long, microplastics make their way to rivers and oceans, they get eaten up by small fishes and wildlife. After entering their digestive systems, microplastics are known to cause fatal intestinal blockages, punctured organs and various health related problems.
Some plastics are known to have chemicals that can result in endocrine disruption causing hormonal imbalance in humans. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals linked with development, reproductive, brain, immune and other problems. Plastics can also result in reproductive problems like infertility and cancer. An example of this is Pthalate DHEP, which is added to shower curtains and garden hoses was found to be a probable human carcinogen by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Our natural water bodies are one thing which are affected most by single use plastic waste including streets and roads. People in rural areas have a habit of dumping their waste in nearby water bodies. Plastic on street and roads often gets washed away during heavy rainfall to a nearby river and stream thereby polluting them. A study in 2015 showed that between 4.8 million to 12.7 million metric tons of plastic make their way to oceans via people living within 30 miles of a coast. This pollution is majorly dominated by single-use plastic waste. One thing that most of the countries lack is efficient management of plastic waste. India generates 25,950 tons of plastic waste everyday but collects only 60% of it. The rest 40% adds up to land and water pollution.
Animals bear the burden of human garbage which infiltrates their habitat. Whales, birds and small fishes have been found with their stomach full of plastic. Research has shown that nearly every sea bird on earth is eating plastic (almost 90% of them). The plastic found in their stomach includes bags, bottle caps, synthetic fibers from clothing and microplastics. Large birds like Albatross inadvertently eat plastic floating on water because they fish by skimming their beaks across the top of the water bodies. Parakeet auklets, living in Northern Pacific near Alaska are susceptible towards eating plastic and so are petrels and shearwaters which live on off-shore islands. The health effects of plastic on birds is devastating and eventually they die.
Studies have shown that techniques required for plastic production contributes to green-house gas emissions. From drilling for plastic’s source to clearing of forests and wetlands for the same, leads to leakage of methane, and loss of biodiversity including the loss of trees that would’ve otherwise sequestered carbon. Therefore it is one contributing factor to climate change. One of the most greenhouse gas intensive industries in the manufacturing sector are refineries where crude oil is turned into plastic.
Any environment crisis be it climate change or pollution, impacts vulnerable communities first. The plastic that doesn’t end up in oceans will be recycled after being transported from high-income countries to developing countries. Rural communities particularly in South-East Asia are literally drowning in trash. Plastic doesn’t just pollute and contaminate the land but during incerination releases toxic fumes that results in skin rashes and cancer in community people. WWF has also claimed that a person could be consuming 5 grams of plastic every week.
New initiatives by companies– Introducing bottle bill laws by companies is a sustainable method of waste management. Bottle bills (also known as container deposit laws) are proven method of capturing beverage bottles and cans for recycling. The refund value of the container (usually 5 or 10 cents) provides a monetary incentive to customers to return the container for recycling. Mc Donald’s replaced its plastic straws for paper in United Kingdom and Ireland. Starbucks has done the same and Disney has refrained using Single use plastic straw in their theme parks etc. In India too, many shops and super-marts have stopped the use of plastic bags and straws. People are shifting towards sustainable habits by using paper, jute and cloth bags in many cities.
Will plastic ban work? Indeed it will, by preventing tons of plastic from entering the water bodies. Not only it will reduce pollution, the demand for plastic will lessen the burden on environment that ultimately leads to global climate change. It will force the companies to think of new innovation and ideas.
How can one get rid of single-use plastic? Each individual can make a difference by doing simple things like buying a reusable water bottle or using paper straws. The massive protests against the plastic led to ban of single-use plastics in as many as 120 countries. A common question which arises is that can we reuse single-use plastics? We may use plastic bags but repetitive usage of single-use plastic can release harmful chemicals.
Below we have mentioned few tips that can help you avoid the use of Single-use plastics-
- Always carry your own reusable water bottles. Always!
- Use alternatives of plastic straws, cutleries, plates in restaurants or hotels.
- Buy in bulk, avoid buying packaged food. You can buy online too to avoid carbon foot print, or you can walk/bicycle to your grocery store.
- And most importantly, your voice matters! Speak out in support of local plastic ban, write/tweet/call or send letters to your favourite brands or companies asking them to switch from plastic towards sustainability or using recycled products.
