07:42
Faizan
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the world uses approximately 500 billion to one trillion plastic bags annually. Less than one percent of these plastic bags are recycled since it is more expensive to recycle a polythene bag than to make a new one. Polythene bags are widely used since they are light in weight, readily available and inexpensive. Plastic bags are discarded after use littering the environment and creating an eyesore. Apart from this visual pollution, they produce catastrophic effects on the entire environment.
Poor Soils
Polythene bags accumulate continuously on soils and since they cannot decompose and rot easily it results in poor soil aeration and absorption of water and nutrients in the soil. The acidic combination present in the polythene bags also interferes with the chemical formula of the soils making them less productive. Polythene bags photo-degrade breaking down into smaller and toxic petro-polymers contaminating the soil. Crops planted on such soils might produce low yields due to poor nutrition and water absorption.
Threat to Animal Survival
Animals such as sheep and cows might feed on plastic bags in their search for food leading to death since they are difficult to digest. Plastics can also cause a slow death as they are not easily ingested and remain in the intestines for a long period of time. Since plastics are bulky, they take up most of the space in the stomach, thus the animal is unable to feed properly, starving to death. Marine animals easily mistake plastic bags littering seas, oceans, lakes and rivers for food chocking and suffocating them to death. Small children and infants can also suffocate to death by blocking their mouths and nostrils with airtight plastic bags when playing, un-monitored by adults.
Pollution
Polythene bags are durable and since they do not decompose easily, they pile up resulting in a mountain of trash. Polythene bags take up a lot of land to dispose since they are generated in large numbers and hardly decompose. When plastic bags are buried in the landfills, they take a lot of time to rot since they are made from petroleum which is not easily broken down. Plastic bags also pollute the water ways and land when carelessly disposed. The only way of getting rid of plastics is burning them up and this produces toxic fumes which pollute the air.
Spread of Diseases
Discarded polythene bags can clog and block the drainage system resulting to overflow of sewerage. In developing countries with poor sanitation, exposed sewage might mix with drinking water contaminating it, causing water borne diseases such as typhoid and cholera. Rainwater collects in polythene bags, providing a breeding ground for mosquitoes in tropical areas leading to the spread of malaria and yellow fever. Malaria is responsible for the high infant mortality rate in Africa especially during the wet season. Polythene bags can also harbor rats and mice which might transmit diseases and fleas to human beings.
Poor Soils
Polythene bags accumulate continuously on soils and since they cannot decompose and rot easily it results in poor soil aeration and absorption of water and nutrients in the soil. The acidic combination present in the polythene bags also interferes with the chemical formula of the soils making them less productive. Polythene bags photo-degrade breaking down into smaller and toxic petro-polymers contaminating the soil. Crops planted on such soils might produce low yields due to poor nutrition and water absorption.
Threat to Animal Survival
Animals such as sheep and cows might feed on plastic bags in their search for food leading to death since they are difficult to digest. Plastics can also cause a slow death as they are not easily ingested and remain in the intestines for a long period of time. Since plastics are bulky, they take up most of the space in the stomach, thus the animal is unable to feed properly, starving to death. Marine animals easily mistake plastic bags littering seas, oceans, lakes and rivers for food chocking and suffocating them to death. Small children and infants can also suffocate to death by blocking their mouths and nostrils with airtight plastic bags when playing, un-monitored by adults.
Pollution
Polythene bags are durable and since they do not decompose easily, they pile up resulting in a mountain of trash. Polythene bags take up a lot of land to dispose since they are generated in large numbers and hardly decompose. When plastic bags are buried in the landfills, they take a lot of time to rot since they are made from petroleum which is not easily broken down. Plastic bags also pollute the water ways and land when carelessly disposed. The only way of getting rid of plastics is burning them up and this produces toxic fumes which pollute the air.
Spread of Diseases
Discarded polythene bags can clog and block the drainage system resulting to overflow of sewerage. In developing countries with poor sanitation, exposed sewage might mix with drinking water contaminating it, causing water borne diseases such as typhoid and cholera. Rainwater collects in polythene bags, providing a breeding ground for mosquitoes in tropical areas leading to the spread of malaria and yellow fever. Malaria is responsible for the high infant mortality rate in Africa especially during the wet season. Polythene bags can also harbor rats and mice which might transmit diseases and fleas to human beings.
Posted in: Go Green
