OdishaLIVE Bureau

The main reason of plastic pollution is when enough of plastic has gathered in an area,it affects the natural environment and harms plants,animals and humans as well.

Every day we come across plastics in various forms as grocery bags, bottles, food containers, coffee cup lids, computer key boards and other such products. Plastic is used on a large scale all around the world.

Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental concerns now a days. Plastic Pollution is a global problem. There are different types of plastic materials found everywhere on land, in water bodies like rivers, oceans, lakes etc.Water bottles and soda cans which are disposable accumulate with time. Plastic has toxic pollutants that damage the land, water, air and the environment also.

Causes of Plastic Pollution

Plastic is cheap and it available widely. The main cause of plastic pollution is overuse of plastic. Many toys which are made of a plastic are a major cause of pollution by plastic. Plastics are very strong and long-lasting materials that do not decompose and degrade easily, so improper disposal of plastic is a cause of this problem.

Effects of Plastic Pollution

Due to Plastic Pollution the ocean as well as the ground water, the land, everything gets polluted. As the world pollution increases, land becomes more polluted and prediction has it that it will soon be difficult to find places to throw out the garbage.

Pollution in the Ocean and on Land

The pollution in the ocean is mainly from plastic. Not only the ocean but also the land is contaminated due to plastic. It can hurt the economy and food supply for communities that rely on fishing. There is a tiny organism named Plankton which is affected by plastic, on which larger animals depend for food. If small organisms are poisoned from ingesting plastic, the ocean animals that eat the food also consume toxins. The toxins work their way up the food chain and can even be present in the fish people eat.

Like ocean, the ground water sources are damaged by this plastic pollution. Water sources everywhere are in danger because of the pollution of plastic. The toxins of the plastic can seep into the ground water which people drink everyday and it can be harmful for human body.

On land also, plastic pollution is a major problem. Wind can carry plastic waste throughout the environment. It can get stuck in trees, fences or other structures. When animals come into contact with plastic and they feel suffocated. If an animal consumes a piece of plastic then it can may affect to its stomach and also poisoning it with toxins.

Solution to Plastic Pollution

There is a saying, ‘if you change nothing, nothing will change’. If everyone could bring a small change, then the global change can fix the problem by trying to reduce plastic waste. A great way to reduce waste is to use paper bags or reusable bags when shopping.

Drinking from a reusable water bottle is also helpful.One can also avoid containers like cups from coffee shop. Avoid using plastic straws even in restaurant. Even these types of small changes in day to day life can add up and hugely reduce the amount of plastic waste in the environment.The pollution of plastic has a big impact on the environment but plastic waste is not unavoidable. Think twice before you throw away plastic or buy unnecessary plastic bags.

(Story: Manisha Nanda, Edit: Sriram Singh Rattan)

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