Environmental Impact and Health Effects of Plastic Bottles

by Rudrajit Chakraborty Digital Marketing Expert

• ·         As per a news report in The Guardian, the annual consumption of plastic water bottles is set to top half a trillion by the year 2021.
  
  
• ·         Another study states that less than 20% of plastic bottles ever get recycled.
  
  
• ·    Approximately 38 billion plastic bottles are discarded into landfills worldwide annually.
  
  
• ·         About 73% of beach litter worldwide is made of plastic waste.
  
  
• ·         8 million metric tons of plastic ends up in our oceans each year.
  

 

Plastic is nonbiodegradable. Goods made of plastic do not decompose naturally, and they are difficult to recycle. The facts that we have listed above are evidence of the harmful effects of plastic water bottles environmental impact. It is a very real fear that many environmentalists have – a day when there will be more plastic in the ocean than fishes. Pressure from the sea waves breaks down the plastic waste into tiny particles, and many fishes mistake these microparticles to be their natural food. 100,000 marine mammals die each year from ingesting or getting plastic stuck on them.

A single plastic bottle takes more than 1000 years to decompose. The cap of a plastic bottle can never be recycled. The production of plastic water bottles requires up to 17 million barrels of oil each year. It also takes three times the volume of water to manufacture one bottle of water than it does to fill it. The manufacturing process takes a toll on the earth’s valuable natural resources of fossil fuels and water. Being aware of these facts about plastic bottles sheds a light on the negative impact of plastic bottle consumption.

Plastic bottles are used by FMCG companies to package and transport products like mineral drinking water, aerated soft drinks, juices, syrups, milk, cooking oil, and much more. Plastic bottles are lightweight and easy to carry, thus, they can be easily distributed by manufacturers. These facts about plastic bottles make them very popular and widely used. But they are harmful to both the environment and our physical health.

In addition to plastic water bottles environmental impact, drinking water from a plastic bottle can also result in many health problems. The most common health effects are caused by Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used to make the plastic hard and clear. BPA has been linked to heart diseases, early puberty in girls, reduced fertility in women, neurological difficulties, and even certain types of cancer. Those who drink water from plastic bottles are in danger of accidentally ingesting BPA in their system.

Water when is stored in a plastic bottle for a long time, it may produce some chemicals like fluoride, arsenic, and aluminum. Drinking this water can lead to immunity problems. Further medical studies have revealed more facts about plastic bottles. They contain a harmful substance called Phthalates which can lead to reduced sperm count, testicular abnormality and other reproductive issues.

The only way to reduce plastic water bottles environmental impact and other health effects is by reducing plastic consumption. One step towards this is to stop using plastic bottles. Reusable water bottles made of aluminum, stainless steel or glass should be used more widely.

 

 

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Created on Sep 24th 2018 05:42. Viewed 533 times.

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