Effects of Plastic Pollution on Humanity

Plastic pollution effects on environment are massive and directly affect humanity. Through the discovery of plastic, humankind was at ease and utilized this technology in almost every part of processing, manufacturing, packaging and delivery. However, we didn't truly prepare ourselves for the future and were engrossed in using plastic to such an extent that we failed to realize its effect on our mother earth.

Plastic takes thousands of years to degrade, so it cannot be composted and accumulates in landfills and oceans.

The population is ever increasing, and the use of plastic is also increasing, which means we are generating more plastic waste and clogging our areas and barren lands with this plastic without having a solution. For how many years can we accumulate this plastic? There will be a day wherein there wouldn't be any space for humans because it will be filled with plastic making our lands barren and occupying space.

What are the Effects of Plastic Pollution?

Plastic pollution has many effects as it can harm humans, plants and animals by producing toxic pollutants. As they take thousands of years to break down into the environment, they cause a long-lasting effect. In addition, they affect the organisms in the food chain and, in this way, can circulate into living organisms and the environment.

One of the major effects of plastic pollution is that it causes landfilling. Around 10% of household waste is plastic, and it often finds its way into landfills, one of the most conventional ways of waste management taken by most countries. But the scarcity of area causes a problem for landfills, and there is a growing concern about the potential effect of these landfills as they can be the herb for toxic chemicals and toxicants that can leach through the plastic. In addition, these contaminants, when into the groundwater, can affect its quality and cause groundwater contamination which, when it reaches civilized areas, can cause waterborne diseases in humans.

Effects of Plastic on Ocean

The impact of plastic pollution is very well noted in the oceans with a variety of flora and fauna. Unfortunately, due to the reckless use of plastic by humans, these innocent life forms in the oceans have to suck the poison generated by the plastic dumped into the oceans. There are many reports of Gray whales and dolphins reportedly dying due to the accumulation of plastic and rubbish in their stomach and sometimes even straws that get stuck into their nostrils.

The United Nations report states that around 800 species of marine life are heavily affected due to marine debris as around 13 million metric tons of plastic are always dumped into the sea yearly. This has heavily impacted the marine fauna, including small and big fishes, sea turtles, chorals, marine animals and even seabirds. When they ingest this plastic, they suffer starvation, suffocation, and sometimes even experience drowning. According to the reports, sea turtles are the most vulnerable sea creatures that get heavily affected by plastic. Especially the younger sea turtles, as they are not well acquainted with the water environment, eat the plastic.

Effects of Plastic on Human Life

Environmental health is closely related to human health; when the environment is unhealthy, human health also deteriorates. It's 2022, and we are surrounded by plastic around us. Almost all the things we use at home, including home décor, electronics and even food packaging, are made of plastic. Traditionally, naturally produced products such as paper or cotton were utilized in the manufacturing and processing industries, but today, plastic is ubiquitous in almost everything.

The most harmful effects of plastic pollution on environment is in the form of microplastics. Microplastics are plastic particles which are less or equal to 5 millimetres in size. These microplastics are everywhere and even in the deepest ocean trenches as they are released from everyday items we use at home, including carpets, curtains, synthetic textiles, and sofas. They have caused environmental contamination, meaning we eat, drink and sleep over plastic. In addition, bacteria are well acquainted with its sales to survive on this plastic, and there are many programs conducted on this issue that research if microplastics we'll be the cause of ill health in humans.

Chemical additives are the other concern as they are chemicals added to plastics to give them a particular characteristic shape, size, colour, plasticity, malleability and durability. In short, these are chemicals which assign characteristic features to plastics; however, some of these chemicals are identified to be hazardous and have also shown an effect on the hormone system of the human body. For instance, bisphenol a or BPA is the chemical used in making polycarbonate bottles, and research has revealed that this affects the endocrine system after the body.

Moreover, the most common effect of plastic pollution on human health is its incorporation into the food chain. When bits of plastic pieces enter the ocean, they get consumed by marine life, and as they are not digested, they tend to remain within the stomach of these marine species. As these species become prey to higher order organisms, including humans, which are primary, secondary consumers, the plastic accumulates into the organisms in your food chain. Bioaccumulation is a major cause of plastic toxicity in human life and is an issue of serious concern.

Effects of Plastic on Earth's Environment

Effect of plastics and fossil fuels

Plastics originate from fossil fuels, meaning plastic extraction and production incorporate extensive energy-driven processes emitting large amounts of greenhouse gases into the environment. Fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy which means it takes billions of time for their form.

Effect of plastic on consumption

Even if plastic goes for recycling, it does not go away from the environment because only a small amount of plastic is recycled. In contrast, a large amount gets dumped into the natural reservoirs.

Effect of plastic on life

If not recycled or disposed of promptly, this discarded plastic causes greenhouse gases, further increasing the environment's temperature. In addition, the waste and toxins get released into the oceans, which has already been discussed.

Effect of plastic on waste management

Open burning is the most common waste treatment practice, which causes the generation of air pollutants and black carbon responsible for the smog seen in most countries. As the potential of black carbon to cause global warming is 500 times more than that of carbon dioxide, it is a matter of serious concern as it is a major effects of plastic on environment.

What are the Causes of Plastic Pollution?

To most often look for ways to recycle and reuse plastic, we tend to oversee the reasons that cause plastic pollution or causes of plastic pollution.

Plastic pollution due to plain old trash

One of the major reasons for plastic pollution is because plastic is everywhere and thrown away in the environment. it is trashed into the landfills, and it simply stays there for years and years, which causes plastic pollution. In addition, plastic bottle pollution is also a serious issue.

Plastic pollution due to the overuse of plastic

Before the discovery of plastic, traditional ways of manufacturing and packaging items included glass, cotton and paper. Unfortunately, we tend to use plastic even in things that do not require plastic, so there is a greater demand for creating cheap plastic, thereby overusing it. Single-use plastic is one such example of overusing plastics unnecessarily.

Plastic pollution due to its slow degradation rate

Plastic is made up of chemical bonds, which are highly resistive, and they cannot be broken down even if you increase the temperature to several 100 degrees. As a result, the decomposition rate is slow. As a result, plastic pollution gets further added because we haven't identified a process that can increase the decomposition rate or the breakdown of these chemical bonds present in the plastic.

Solutions to Reduce Plastic Pollution

10 ways to reduce plastic pollution

Reusing plastic

The best way to deal with plastic is to reuse plastic, especially in the household. It would be best if we repurposed the packaging and the storage materials we get whenever we buy an item that includes plastic. For instance, instead of buying a plastic bag in the market, you can carry a cloth bag or a plastic bag from home to avoid buying more plastic.

Recycling of plastic

As only 9% of plastic produced globally is recycled, it is a very low percentage; hence, this area needs to be developed. However, plastic bottles, containers, single-use plastic and even chip packets packaged in plastics with the right technology can be recycled and reused.

Say no to single-use plastic

Some of the single-use plastic, such as straws, cups, spoons and forks, are unnecessary and generate plastic waste 500 times more than the plastic in actual use. Therefore, we need to look for alternate ways to overcome and eliminate the use of single-use plastic.

Choose sustainable alternatives

The best way to give an edge to plastic in the market is by opting for highly sustainable items. Instead of buying plastic goods, people can opt for eco-friendly and chemical-free products made of natural materials, including cotton, bamboo and even coconut shell products.

Buying environmentally friendly paper makes sustainable use of the products around you. Sustainable paper is a better alternative to get rid of dangerous greenhouse gases. In addition, eco-friendly handmade paper is cost-saving and makes its use efficient. Opt for Coconut products and Bamboo products. Loopify has everything on its shelf- office supplies staples, eco-friendly books, eco-friendly files, coconut shell products and bamboo products.

Make smart choices

It would be best if we found substitutes for plastic, such as using two bags, upcycled plastic household items, and naturally made home cutlery. To switch the heavy use of plastic and aluminium, utilized in industries to generate alloys and other materials that give a characteristic feature to plastic. For instance,

Handwoven Shop-N-Go Tote upcycled plastic bag - an environment-friendly bag. One handwoven bag is equivalent to 40 plastic bags. A product you need to buy today or a gift for your dear ones, whether they are college-going students, office colleagues or your mum who indulges in daily shopping.

Handwoven cutlery kit made from upcycled plastic - This handwoven cutlery kit is made up of upcycling plastic and is chemical free, which means it does not include any chemicals in its making, is tested on animals and is 100% plastic free from Loopify.

Installation of reverse vending machines

A reverse vending machine allows people to deposit plastic bottles or containers in exchange for a credit. These bottles further go for recycling and, in this way, encourage people to make smart choices and keep the area clean. Government officials can be requested to install such reverse vending machines, especially in public areas, to encourage the process of recycling.

Door-to-door campaign

The 10 steps to reduce plastic pollution should include a door-to-door campaign. Every household produces a certain amount of plastic waste. When all the houses in a locality generate massive waste, this waste can be collected by government officials or even by the secretary of a particular colony to take care of the plastic generation. This drive will encourage people to sort out the wet waste and the driveways and make smart choices by being Responsible citizens of society.

Beach clean-up

As the blastic generated on the beaches get dumped onto the shore during high waves, beach plastic is the direct cause of ocean plastic pollution. Sometimes this plastic floods the sand area and accumulates deep into the coastal belt, making it unclean. Therefore, Beach tribes and campaigns should be organized to motivate, especially the youth come forward and make a difference in sorting out the plastic waste generated in the environment.

Create awareness

Awareness campaigns should always be present in every community. Students should be aware of plastic's ill effects from a tender edge. The use of single-use plastics, polythene bags, and plastic containers can be avoided; hence, the server name should educate people about the dos and don'ts of plastic. For example, plastic free July is a campaign observed globally to reduce the use of plastics, especially single-use plastics, in the month of July. As many people are not aware of this campaign, it is vital that plastic free July is celebrated everywhere.

Implement circular economy

In a circular approach, the plastic produced, manufactured and packaged is further recycled and reused. This plastic is used again in the production, manufacturer and delivery system, thereby giving a circular approach. We must make the best use of already available plastic in the environment because it is a real problem around us, and we need to do something about it.

Which are the Plastics that Can Be Recycled?

Different types of plastic can be recycled because recycling is a crucial part of plastic management. For recycling, all types of plastic are sorted based on the type of resin present, either mechanically through automated machines or manually. After sorting, plastic is recycled mechanically, wherein it is washed, grounded and melted or through chemical recycling in which plastic is broken down into final units or monomers that form new polymers of the plastic.

The most common types of plastics that can be recycled include polypropylene plastic which is used in making margarine tubs, trays and cutlery. Polyethylene or pet, used in bottles and plastic trays, and high-density polyethylene or HDPE, is used in commercial packaging such as shampoo bottles added in milk cartons.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 3 harmful effects of plastic?

The first harmful effect of plastic is on all the life forms on the earth. The plastic in the landfills can leak and cause the generation of toxicants that can get into the groundwater and reach humans. Plastic, through bioaccumulation, also gets into the food chain and affects the atom moves, especially at the top of the food chain. The second harmful effect of plastic is the dumping of plastic in oceans, causing clogging of the oceans and putting the lives of marine life in danger. The third harmful effect of plastic is the presence of microplastics around us, and we cannot get rid of them. This waste is increasing in its size almost every day, and there will be a time wherein there will be no space for dumping any plastic.

What is the biggest problem with plastic?

The biggest problem with plastic is that it cannot be degraded quickly, leading to accumulation in landfills, barren lands and even in the oceans. The garbage problem is a very important problem that has been around for a long time, and we still cannot find the right solution to a zero waste management system.