The Global Problem of Plastic Pollution

by Bappaditta Jana share market adviser

Plastic is one of the most useful yet malicious materials that have become the menace in few the last few decades. It has become omnipresent and has caused a lot of harm to the flora & fauna on the planet. Packaging products, building materials, and even bags are made of plastics. As the production of polymer material increases, the plastic litter to does. The plastic garbage contaminates the parks, public transports, streets and water bodies affecting the lives that survive in water. If you want to know about the plastic bottle pollution facts & figures can tell you a lot about it.

Nowadays, the plastic pollution has caught the attention of the think tanks of the world, especially after a large amount of plastic material was found scattered here and there. According to the reports, around 8 million tons of litters are trashed in the oceans, and most of them are small parts of plastics that are unknowingly ingested by the marine animals. As per a study published in NAS’s (National Academy of Science) journal proceedings in the year 2015, around 90 percent of seabirds have mistaken plastic for food and have accumulated plastic particles in the digestive system.

According to a study presented in the economic forum of Switzerland in the year 2016, it was concluded that by 2050, the weight of plastics in the ocean will be more than all the fishes living in each and every ocean of the planet.

Plastics can be found each and every nook & corner of the planet. If we rely on the reports, only Pacific Ocean consists of plastic litter that can cover the entire US twice.

More than 80% of plastic litter contaminates the water bodies comes from the household wastes and landfills. There is more plastic garbage that is dumped in the oceans directly. The most common types of plastics wastes found in the water bodies are-

Plastic bottles
Plastic bulbs
Fishing Nets
Plastic cutleries
Plastic cups
Plastic containers
Plastic bags
Filaments
Plastic Straws

Around 8 billion dollars of damages are produced by plastics in the marine eco-systems. More than 90% of waste in the ocean is plastic. As per the reports of 2014, 32% of the plastic production of the world gets trashed in large water bodies like the sea. As per the UN estimation, 46 thousand plastic pieces cover each sq mile area of ocean. The NGOs are trying to create awareness of plastic bottle pollution and it is high time we must start thinking about it.

Plastics are dangerous and have replaced each and every item in our kitchen. Earlier, we used metals like stainless steel, aluminum, and brass to cook & serve food. We rarely had health problems like we have now. Plastics were introduced to our kitchen because we wanted some lightweight containers that are cheap and easy to handle. Moreover, the plastic containers were available in various colors. But we rarely realized that plastics can damage our health and can create a lot of health problems.

Today we are standing on the verge of destruction. Plastics are making our lives excruciating, and it is now time to change our preferences that starts with plastic and ends with it.