Plastic happens to be one of those
invention that has been designed to make human life easier. Cheap, convenient
and easily available they have permeated our lives to such an extent that we
have become highly dependent on it. However this obsession with plastic has led
to a serious threat to the environment. It is not just the human beings who are
affected by this seemingly harmful material but plastic has become a cause of
worry for the whole ecosystem.
The discarded plastic that comes in
the form of shopping bags, wrappers, plastic bottles and tubes etc. gets
swallowed by various animals including cows, fish and birds because of being
mistaken as food. Also, the huge amount of plastic that are thrown into the
ocean further endangers the lives of sea animals. But that is not all. The main
problem with plastic is that it is non-biodegradable and sticks around for a
much longer time than any other form of trash. It further contains toxic
chemicals which acts as a magnet for other pollutants such as dioxins,
pesticides and metals. Hence, it becomes very important that we wake up to the
danger plastic is causing to the planet. Here are some easy ways to fight
plastic pollution.
Reduce the use of plastic:
Reducing the use of plastic can
drastically reduce the amount of plastic waste. Always carry a reusable plastic
bag with you instead of asking for plastic bags to carry your stuff. You can
further reduce the use of single use plastic such as water bottles, straws,
cups and other such materials that are discarded after one use. You can simply
refuse the products you don't need and try reusing the ones where it can be.
Take for instance plastic water bottles. You can use it multiple times and
carry your water instead of buying a new bottle every single time you are
outside.
Recycling:
While recycling comes as an obvious
thing to do but we are simply not doing it because only a meager amount (less
than 14%) of plastic gets recycled. All you have to do is to check if the
plastic you are about to throw in the bin can be recycled. Most of the liquid
cleaner bottles, as well as those of milk, juice and body lotions, yogurt and
ketchup bottles etc. are recyclable and can help in controlling the plastic
pollution by reducing the amount of new plastic in circulation.
Micro-beads are dangerous. Avoid
them
Those tiny particles found in face
scrubs, body washes, toothpastes and other beauty products, appear harmful but
are in fact a growing source of ocean plastic pollution recently. They enter
the waterways through our sewer system and harm the sea animals who take them
for food. Besides, the tiny size of these micro-beads which in fact is a form
of plastic further allows them to slip through water treatment plants thus
enter the nearby waterways.
Volunteer for beach or river cleanup
Of late there has been awareness
about the dangers caused to marine lives because of the increasing plastic
waste in oceans and other water bodies. If there is any waterway or beach in
your locality you can try organizing a cleanup and collect plastic wastes that
is polluting it. However, if you don't want to take the inititaive on your own
you can also participate in various cleanups which are organized by NGOs andsocial bodies and help fight ocean plastic pollution.
Buy secondhand
Purchasing products second hand is
an important step towards reducing your plastic footprint. Products such as
toys and electronic gadgets come with all kinds of plastic packaging which can
be avoided if you choose to shop second hand. Second hand products not only
uses less resources as it is unpack aged but also helps keep those products in
use and out of landfill.
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