Thanks to plastics, the rate of pollution in cities, suburban areas, and oceans worldwide has been increasing significantly. While the issues may eventually be detrimental, such as health-related diseases and harm to marine life, some viable solutions, including a ban on plastic production and implementing regulations and fines on those contributing to this trend, could effectively address this problem.
Regular plastics can be a threat and hazardous not only for humans but also for our surroundings and underground creatures. As the production rate of plastics continues to intensify, many developing and industrialised urban cities, where there are usually many people, experience serious health problems at first. In fact, the amount of plastic waste is increasing daily because of plastic packaging – a material that protects against contaminants and is often used by fast food restaurants and other retail shops. If there is an unbearably immense amount of such waste after people, the waste could accumulate, triggering air pollution, water contamination, soil degradation, and even fire if not disposed of properly. As a result, people may suffer respiratory-related illnesses. Another urgent implication of this has to do with aquatic life. Most of the time, plastics end up in oceans where many animals may mistakenly eat the plastic, resulting in harming organisms mechanically and chemically and eventually leaving them to die.
As for the measurements, there are a couple of feasible solutions that could be applied to sort out the problems mentioned. Since the issues arising from plastic are due to human action, we people have to take steps. With the traditional method of eating that involves using metal spoons, forks, bowls and glasses for drinking rather than plastic ones, for example, people can significantly reduce the adverse effects that the plastic waste brings to the environment. Also, introducing fine regulations for those who dispose of plastics randomly and improperly would be a key factor in mitigating such problems. Another viable option to address the issue is to set a limit for plastic production and encourage non-governmental organisations to be as environmentally friendly as possible. To be precise, the less plastic, the less waste goes to a landfill. In that sense, the harm done to nature by factories would be significantly lower, leading to better air quality, which would be a much better option than expanding the area of landfills.
To conclude, although the problems caused by plastics can be devastating, there are still several solutions to be applied that urge both factories and the general public to increase their awareness about the environmental impacts of plastic use.