Say no to plastic, life without plastic is difficult but not impossible.

               Say no to plastic, life without plastic is difficult but not impossible.

Introduction: In our daily life plastic is a material which we cannot stop to use. If we go back to history, from 1907, around a century ago plastic “The material of 1000 uses” became very popular. From then the use of plastic was spreading across the world. In 1940, large use of plastics was seen in the second world war. After the second world war this material were spreading across for domestic and industrial use and within 1970 it became the most used and popular material of the world even though it affects nature greatly. Till now we are not much aware of its consequences let alone take steps to stop its use.

How hard life without plastic can be? Let’s say if we ban plastic from our life. In the kitchen we have to remove the plastic shopping bag also known as polybags. We have to remove plastic pots, bowls, spoons and even plastic shelves. Now let’s look at the Bathroom from toothpaste to shampoo bars, all are made of plastic. At the food store coffee cup, water bottle, spoon everything is made of plastic. These are also known as one-time plastic. Foods are covered with plastic to keep them fresh. Safety gears like helmets, goggles etc. are made of plastics. Even our pens are made of plastics. A huge percentage of plastics are used in electronic devices like Speakers, Mobile phones, computers etc.

Drawbacks of plastics: At this point we really can’t deny the role of Plastic in our daily life. But if we look at its drawback, it’s a monster which is eating away our environment. Plastics are polluting our ocean, soil, air and therefore our environment. Millions of animals are killed by plastics every year. Nearly every species of sea bird eats plastics. Seals, turtles, whales and other sea animals are strangled by plastic fishing gears. Even micro plastics are being found in more than 100 aquatic species including fish, shrimp, mussels etc. which are in our dining table. Even plastics are found in the digestion system of elephants, zebras, cows, goats etc. land based animals. Micro-plastic pollution has become a public and scientific topic. Unlike many materials, plastics are not biodegradable. Eventually plastics break down into tiny pieces known as micro-plastics which causes soil pollution. As this process happens, it leaches toxic materials around its surroundings. It affects the microorganisms and soil living animals vastly. Moreover, in monsoon, microplastics in soil flow into rivers and oceans and enter the digestive system of aquatic animals. Eventually Plastic pollution is affecting public health. So, plastics are destroying fertile land and shaking the ecosystem. As plastics aren't biodegradable another way of destroying plastic is burning. By burning plastics materials, it produces hazardous gasses like hydrochloric acid, Sulphur dioxide which affects our respiratory system as well as air. Moreover, these gasses and microplastics are constantly lofted into the atmosphere and affect the formation of clouds, impact temperature, rainfall therefore atmosphere. So only the ocean and soil aren’t affected by plastics air is being polluted. 

 

                                            Pic: Sea and Soil pollution

Possible Steps to reduce plastic pollution:Considering its drawback, I think it's high time we took necessary decisions to reduce the use of plastic materials and shift into biodegradable, natural materials. It's not impossible to live without plastic. Of course, it will be difficult to do it but in order to save our environment I think we should take proper steps. To begin with, paper bags, fiber bags can replace plastic bags or reusable plastic bags can also be a solution. In the bath room we can shift into bar soaps and shampoo. We can replace polyesters with cotton or wool products. We can replace PVC plastic materials with stainless steels. We can shift in ceramics, bamboo, woods for daily utensils like spoon, bowl, shelf etc. Another solution to replace plastic is Glass. While glass isn’t biodegradable but it is infinitely recyclable. Already many food companies used glass to package their products. Recently Scientists have invented Bioplastics. Unlike normal plastic materials, bioplastics are recyclable which are made of natural sources. But bioplastics need time to degrade and need commercial facilities to decompose. Starch based polymers can replace plastics easily. Polymers from banana leaves, sugarcane, and mushrooms are biodegradable and also eco friendly. Plastics from processed corn also known as Polylactic acid, or PLA is another solution. So plastic materials can be replaced from our daily kitchen, Bathroom, in the home.

        

                    Pic: Replacement of plastics (Bamboo and Bioplastics)

 

 

Conclusion:If we eliminate plastics from our life we are not only cutting our share of waste stream but also leaving behind a more sustainable, eco friendly environment for our next generation. If the demand for the alternative of plastics material increases, the companies will produce more eco friendly products moreover more alternative products will arise. Already our oceans are suffering, which is called the lung of our world for producing vast amounts of oxygen. According to statistics, every year 44 million animals die because of plastic digestion. Also it is continuously polluting our environment. At this stage very soon, we will endanger our existence. So, the sooner we take actions the better for our world.

 

 Promit paul

Promit paul was born in Dhaka. He attended the National Ideal and passed his SSC in 2019. Later he attended St.Gregory School and College and passed his HSC. Currently he is studying in Brac University on Biotechnology for M.S. The author loves to play online games in his free time. The author also loves to watch documentaries on Nature. He tries to help the helpless animal and wishes them to be happy and hopes to stop human selfish behavior towards nature and animal.