Plastic is a sort of container made of thin, flexible plastic film or nonwoven fabric. We use it almost every day to carry essentials such as groceries, food, and many more. Though these bags are helping us, it’s not doing any good to the environment. About 75% of the ocean or marine litter is filled with plastic waste, whereas it might be up to 100% in some specific areas. We will be talking about some of the reasons why we should stop using plastic bags.
Statistics show that every year 422 million tons of plastic are produced for use, out of which 12.7 million enters into the sea, and it is estimated that by 2025 it can increase up to 10 times more. This plastic waste dumped into the ocean emits some microplastic consumed by the fish humans eat. So it directly affects our body’s health system. The chemicals added in plastic have some endocrine disruptors that have been identified to cause birth deficiency, cancer, infertility, and behavioral issues. We see the birds flying above us, but we don’t even realize how much they help us. The seeds they carry around are dropped in certain places, which create plants, and birds have seeds and plants to the other side of the ocean for the reconstruction of landmasses naturally. They are shaping the ecosystem for us and preserving the nature we see all around without even knowing. Plastic bags dumped in the ocean are harming the birds because about 90% of birds around the sea have already ingested plastic waste. The marine lives are being hampered. Whales, fish, and turtles are consuming plastic and dying, whereas they should be helping to preserve the environment. Some might think it’s only harming a few animals, so what’s the big issue? The chemical waste consumed is stored in the fat tissues of marine animals, and when excreted, the chemicals come out too, which transports the chemical up to another level of the food chain. Thus the whole marine territory, which is 71% of the entire world, is being polluted. All the plastic waste clogs up the sewage system and stores dirty and waste on the road causing more pollution and uneasy surroundings for us to live in. Beaches are covered in litter due to which people can’t enjoy nature. The Plastic decomposing on soil is ruining the minerals in which we grow our food.
There is no need to use plastic bags because the recycling process is so costly and complex no company does not do it. So, as a result, a plastic bag is used only once and thrown away to rot our surroundings. We should move away from plastics and take up alternative methods to complete our work. Saving marine life and the sea is saving humanity. Plastic was invented about 150 years ago, and pollution has been increasing and causing trouble since then. We should take measures as soon as possible.
