SINCERELY DEADLY: PLASTIC POLLUTION
Plastic, plastic and plastic everywhere, no soothing place left!
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| Baby Seahorse holding an ear bud that is a waste. |
We usually say that technology has made us slaves, but I think plastic has made us slaves in the same way. Today plastic control a large share of the market, starting with packaging products to being used as raw materials for water bottles, crockery, tables, chairs, sports equipment, clothing, hardware, etc. Today, life without plastic is unimaginable!
BUT WHY DEADLY?
See what is happening with innocent lives around us...
The condition of Oceans nowadays...
These are just a few of innumerable different scenes across the globe...
Because, plastic is non-biodegradable, that means it takes a large amount of time for it to get decomposed by microorganisms, it may take even thousands of years. So, when plastic waste is left with biodegradable items to decay, instead of decaying it keeps on accumulating over the space, and when the space is overloaded with such a waste, the waste starts moving to different places with air, water(from rain). It also affects the lives that feed on the waste left by us. The cattle, birds, street dogs, all being innocent, feed on them.
Firstly, it is our sole responsibility to spread awareness across all the places of our reach regarding the harm from plastic and pollution caused by our mismanagement. Show people the reality. Anyone can volunteer for such a work, and people should know that it is their sole responsibility to handle the waste they produce. It is their private property. Moreover, the corporations that produce the products for public usage should take responsibility to pick up the left overs of their product. This is the concept of circular economy and is the need of the hour in India as only banning the single-use plastics will not help in solving the problem of waste mismanagement.
People should be motivated to raise funds for waste management of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. They can even seek funds from the municipality of their locality. Afroz Shah, a Mumbaikar, started to clean Versova beach all alone and soon, he became leader of a team of the residents of locality and together they carried forward the cleanup. As the team size grew, they were able to clean more and more waste from the beach. Soon, Municipality also helped them by taking all the garbage from the beach to their plant, where they either burn the waste for electricity or sold that to some corporation in need of it. Finally, in 2 years time they were able to sweep out 5 million kg of plastic from the beach.
Today, many people and organizations have come up with innovative ideas to consume the waste generated. One of the organizations is Adidas, that has collaborated with Parley and together they manufacture shoes out of the plastic waste collected from oceans and beaches. Parley is an organization that sweeps all the plastic waste along the coast lines of its reachable places and convert them to some sexy product. Adidas came up with the idea for shoes from plastic waste and for raw material they approached Parley. This is an appreciable idea where the shoe manufactured, when becomes a waste can again be used for manufacturing shoe. But the problem of micro-plastics is still unsolved.
Nature has not given us plastic! Plastic is developed by us. All we are doing is plastic abuse due to which we are in a danger. All kinds of ecosystems are in danger of collapsing due to human abuse of plastics, deforestation, inorganic agriculture and disturbing the ecosystems by poking the nose into their working. It's time that we start having a count on our carbon footprints, minimize them to the maximum, as even our present is in a huge danger. We can stop using and promotion of plastic water bottles as they are liable to release micro-plastics. Stop usage of polythene. Promote biodegradable polymers. PLA packaging should be promoted. Properly dispose or sale the plastic wastes such as used pens, bottles, packaging sheets to those who can recycle or reuse them properly as our lack of attention makes the way of these wastes to different ecosystems where they start creating nuisance.
That's all from my side friends. If you have something in your mind, type down your thoughts in the comments below.
The Problem is...
That 91% of plastic products are not recycled. Since the waste is not managed properly, i.e. it is not recycled and reused. Ultimately, with the ongoing accumulation of the plastic waste on landfills, the landfills are prone to fires (since, the plastics are inflammable), sliding of the waste to a low-lying public area (problem with many landfills in Delhi) that ultimately becomes the breeding ground of pathogens.
We think that we have solved our problem by throwing out the domestic waste away from home to some landfill, but from there, with the help of air, rain water and animals, it comes on to roads, then to rivers, or high altitude places(studies suggest that Himalayan region is also polluted by micro-plastics besides the pollution caused by mountaineers). As the plastic enters rivers, it starts annoying the river animals, occupies the beds, becomes the breeding ground for pathogens, releases toxic chemicals that affects the pH of water(and the soil over which it is present). Finally, the plastic reaches ocean with the help of rivers and other agents. It is affecting the lives of sea birds, fishes as they all being innocent about plastics, feed on them.
Micro-plastics have now taken the duty to kill all the peace amongst different life forms. Micro-plastics are particle form of plastics of the size less than 1 cm. They are used in cosmetics, decorative sparkles, dresses, etc. When plastic is exposed to rigidity of environment, it ultimately breaks into micro-plastics. All plastic toys, straws, etc. become menace for the innocent non-human lives. It is ingested by the animals and finally, their stomachs are full of that stuff, which is not nutritive plus not digestible.
Over the time, it accumulates in the stomach and the creatures reach to a stage where they are having their stomach full but still are hungry! They would not be able to eat even though they are hungry. This is the reason for which all the environmentalists are worried about. Today, 95% of the birds living with us on Earth have plastics in their stomach. The birds feed their young ones from their mouth, so basically, if the plastic appears to be food for the mother bird then it will be transferred to the stomachs of the young ones. It is a possibility that the fishes, birds may die of hunger before even reproducing! Ultimately, their population will see an exponential decline. 50% of baby turtles have micro-plastics in their stomachs. Shockingly, 140 lakh tons of plastic waste is released into oceans every year!
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| A landfill in Delhi |
We think that we have solved our problem by throwing out the domestic waste away from home to some landfill, but from there, with the help of air, rain water and animals, it comes on to roads, then to rivers, or high altitude places(studies suggest that Himalayan region is also polluted by micro-plastics besides the pollution caused by mountaineers). As the plastic enters rivers, it starts annoying the river animals, occupies the beds, becomes the breeding ground for pathogens, releases toxic chemicals that affects the pH of water(and the soil over which it is present). Finally, the plastic reaches ocean with the help of rivers and other agents. It is affecting the lives of sea birds, fishes as they all being innocent about plastics, feed on them.
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| Micro-plastics collected from stomachs of lost lives. |
Micro-plastics have now taken the duty to kill all the peace amongst different life forms. Micro-plastics are particle form of plastics of the size less than 1 cm. They are used in cosmetics, decorative sparkles, dresses, etc. When plastic is exposed to rigidity of environment, it ultimately breaks into micro-plastics. All plastic toys, straws, etc. become menace for the innocent non-human lives. It is ingested by the animals and finally, their stomachs are full of that stuff, which is not nutritive plus not digestible.
Over the time, it accumulates in the stomach and the creatures reach to a stage where they are having their stomach full but still are hungry! They would not be able to eat even though they are hungry. This is the reason for which all the environmentalists are worried about. Today, 95% of the birds living with us on Earth have plastics in their stomach. The birds feed their young ones from their mouth, so basically, if the plastic appears to be food for the mother bird then it will be transferred to the stomachs of the young ones. It is a possibility that the fishes, birds may die of hunger before even reproducing! Ultimately, their population will see an exponential decline. 50% of baby turtles have micro-plastics in their stomachs. Shockingly, 140 lakh tons of plastic waste is released into oceans every year!
What can be done?
- Campaign for public awareness.
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| This turtle was locked into this packaging stuff since childhood. |
Firstly, it is our sole responsibility to spread awareness across all the places of our reach regarding the harm from plastic and pollution caused by our mismanagement. Show people the reality. Anyone can volunteer for such a work, and people should know that it is their sole responsibility to handle the waste they produce. It is their private property. Moreover, the corporations that produce the products for public usage should take responsibility to pick up the left overs of their product. This is the concept of circular economy and is the need of the hour in India as only banning the single-use plastics will not help in solving the problem of waste mismanagement.
- Raise funds for management of three kinds of dustbins.
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| Different dustbin for different waste. |
People should be motivated to raise funds for waste management of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. They can even seek funds from the municipality of their locality. Afroz Shah, a Mumbaikar, started to clean Versova beach all alone and soon, he became leader of a team of the residents of locality and together they carried forward the cleanup. As the team size grew, they were able to clean more and more waste from the beach. Soon, Municipality also helped them by taking all the garbage from the beach to their plant, where they either burn the waste for electricity or sold that to some corporation in need of it. Finally, in 2 years time they were able to sweep out 5 million kg of plastic from the beach.
And here is a man who gave an attempt to bring some change...
(in English)
and (in Hindi)
For his active and inspiring nature, Afroz Shah even received compliments and wishes from our Prime Minster.
- Promote the ideas that consume the generated waste.
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| Great Initiative from Adidas: Plastic Waste to Shoes |
Today, many people and organizations have come up with innovative ideas to consume the waste generated. One of the organizations is Adidas, that has collaborated with Parley and together they manufacture shoes out of the plastic waste collected from oceans and beaches. Parley is an organization that sweeps all the plastic waste along the coast lines of its reachable places and convert them to some sexy product. Adidas came up with the idea for shoes from plastic waste and for raw material they approached Parley. This is an appreciable idea where the shoe manufactured, when becomes a waste can again be used for manufacturing shoe. But the problem of micro-plastics is still unsolved.
CONCLUSION:
Nature has not given us plastic! Plastic is developed by us. All we are doing is plastic abuse due to which we are in a danger. All kinds of ecosystems are in danger of collapsing due to human abuse of plastics, deforestation, inorganic agriculture and disturbing the ecosystems by poking the nose into their working. It's time that we start having a count on our carbon footprints, minimize them to the maximum, as even our present is in a huge danger. We can stop using and promotion of plastic water bottles as they are liable to release micro-plastics. Stop usage of polythene. Promote biodegradable polymers. PLA packaging should be promoted. Properly dispose or sale the plastic wastes such as used pens, bottles, packaging sheets to those who can recycle or reuse them properly as our lack of attention makes the way of these wastes to different ecosystems where they start creating nuisance.
That's all from my side friends. If you have something in your mind, type down your thoughts in the comments below.
-Dhairya Varshney
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