Essay on Plastic Pollution: On an average, around 8 million metric tons of plastic garbage and waste are collected in the oceans every year. Plastics cause severe damage to sea creatures, whales and fishes. The economically low prices of plastics have increased their usage rate, but this material is highly non-biodegradable, causing substantial environmental damage. It largely affects human lives, wildlife and marine animals. It pollutes land and water resources. Many governments have strictly implemented the plastic ban in their nations.
Essay on Plastic Pollution 500 Words in English
Below we have provided Plastic Pollution Essay in English, suitable for class 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 school students.
Plastic pollution is a collection of plastic waste like plastic bottles, bags, etc. that adversely affect the environment. Nowadays, plastic is everywhere, and the amount of plastic we generate daily by using it for our comfort is enhancing rapidly. No one realises how harmful it is. It is very important to understand how plastic harms nature, human beings, and other creatures on earth. We use plastic in various ways. It is used in building polythene bags, utensils, and many other things. Slowly it gets contaminated and leads to hazardous effects.
Causes of Plastic Pollution
Plastics cannot be decomposed because of its properties. It is cheap and has endless uses. As a result, it is contaminated in the environment. Plastic is everywhere, milk cartons, water bottles, food wrappers, and many products are made up of plastics. Every time these items are thrown away, and they create harmful effects on the environment. As plastic is not expensive, it is one of the most easily available and overused items. When disposed of, it does not get decompose easily and pollutes our environment.
When small organisms eat plastic, they become poisoned. This poisons large animals who eat these tiny animals for food. With each step further along the food chain, this problem increases. Plastic is also present in the fish that many people eat every day. Many people eat fish, so fishing is an important activity in many parts of the worlds. Fishing is done by using finishing nets, and they spend a long time in the water, leaking toxins, sometimes they are left to remain wherever they fall.
This kills and harms aquatic living beings. Plastic carried by water flows to the sea and oceans, thus creating water pollution. It is impossible to break down plastics. Burning plastic is toxic, which releases toxic gases and harms the atmosphere. It is a fact that 40% of plastic is used only once. Several items, such as bags, bottles, and food packaging, are used only once and are left behind as litter. It is one of the biggest causes of plastic pollution.
Harmful Effects of Plastics
Plastic is harmful to plants, animals, and people. Improper disposal of plastics causes several problems. Some of them are:
- Throwing of plastics in open space creates unhealthy conditions, as it develops insects and mosquitoes that cause harmful diseases.
- Plastics stays in the soil for years and affects soil fertility and its quality.
- Plastic leftovers enter the drainage system and block the drains, which cause water-logging.
- The plastic manufacturing industry throws waste directly into the water bodies, thus affecting water.
- Burning of plastic leads to the release of poisonous chemicals. Thus leading to air pollution.
- Natural disasters such as floods are also one of the causes of plastic pollution.
- Plastic contains some chemicals that can affect the growth of crops by making it difficult for the process of photosynthesis to take place in agricultural fields.
Steps taken by the Indian Government to decrease Plastic Pollution
The Government has announced several rules to stop the use of single-use plastics to reduce plastic pollution. These rules are applied in all states. Several rules announced by the Government are-
- The Government has banned the use of carry bags made up of plastics and has suggested to use bags made up of clothes or recycled plastic.
- The Government has banned the use of plastics for packing or selling tobacco.
- The Government has banned all single-use plastics. All states were prohibited from manufacturing single-use plastic products.
- The plastic of minimal diameter that is not soluble in water is banned.
- The Government has banned the import of solid plastic waste.
- The Government has decided to use plastic waste for the construction of roads. It was stated that roads constructed using discarded waste plastics are durable against extreme weather conditions.
- In many states, garbage cafe is opened, where food to the poor is provided free in exchange for plastic waste. The ‘Meal for Plastic’ initiative has gained success and is rolled out in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme under the state government’s Aahar Scheme
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