An evaluation of the effects of californias proposed. They are made using nonrenewable resources, either petroleum or. Plastic pollution occured so rapidly that animals were unable to adjust their behaviour around this new material. Considering the large scale damaging effect of plastic bags on the. Unfortunately, plastic bags are not confined to landfills. Littering of plastics in open spaces creates unhygienic conditions, as it acts as a breeding ground for insects and mosquitoes that cause diseases like malaria and dengue. What are the effects of plastic bags on the environment. Positive and negative effects of plastic essay and speech. Plastic bags create visual pollution problems and can have harmful effects. In landfills they use a lot of space and can take 400 years to degrade. It is created through polymerization, a process where monomer chemicals are combined into threedimensional networks, or polymer chains, through a chemical reaction. They affect from the large animals to the microscopic plankton which is the main type of.
Due to the toxic chemical composition of plastic bags, its exposure causes illnesses like birth defects, cancer, and other systemic illness. Analyzing the growing marine debris centers, such as trash islands, can help to understand plastic bags role in ocean pollution. In this project we will explore the amount of pollution plastic bags create in streets and in oceans. Danger to animal life, especially when they find their way into the sea. Once they become litter, plastic bags find their way into our waterways, parks, beaches, and streets. Of this, 50% is for disposable applications such as packaging. Many countries have banned plastic bags due to public concern over the serious negative impact on the environment and agriculture, especially, in agricultural. Count the plastic bags brought into your home in a week. Moreover, recycling of plastic is uneconomical, polluting and labour intensive. In this article we highlight 15 harmful effects of plastic bags, cutting across social, economic, health, and ecological aspects of life.
Hazards and mitigation by brittany turner and jessica sutton advised by. The strength of the plastic is measured through its density. One of the side effects of technology advances is the inability of nature to decompose substances humans create. If you havent brought one, you can buy a sturdy, reusable bag at the checkout 29. The impact of plastic bags on the environment greentumble. Disposable plastic bags are an environmental problem for several reasons.
Plastic bag packing for hot edible items causes migration of harmful chemicals to food items. Wastage and hygiene issue arises as these non biodegradable bags are usually littered and not recycled. Two major methods that release toxic chemicals of plastic bags are by burning and throwing. Plastic bags also affect animals, birds, and aquatic organisms. Harmful effects of plastic bags on health and environment. Humans invented plastic and animals are harmed by it. The paper focuses on the sustainable agricultural and economic development in malaysia and other countries by finding out alternatives to the use of ever harmful plastic bags. Plastic objects are left over into the ocean for biodegrading it. This becomes a great threat to the earths environment. And, if they are burned, they infuse the air with toxic fumes. In reality plastic bags dont figure in entanglement the main culprits are fishing gear, ropes, lines and strapping bands. Most of our knowledge is around plastic waste in the marine environment, although there is research that indicates that plastic waste in landfill and in badly managed recycling systems could be having.
For example, polythene used in shopping bags is nonbiodegradable it doesnt beak down naturally in landfills. From a vegetable vendor to a designer store, everyone seems to use them. Chemical migration from plastic packaging into contents people are exposed to these chemicals not only during manufacturing, but also by using plastic packages, because some chemicals migrate from the plastic packaging to the foods they contain. Raise public awareness about the harm caused by singleused plastics. For example, whales and sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for squid, and birds often mistake plastic pellets for fish eggs. Among the best data we have comes from san francisco, which in october 2007 implemented a ban on the distribution of hdpe plastic bags by. Using plastic bags and its damaging impact on environment and. Study the study reflected that while over 85% of the respondents were aware of the plastic usage ban and the harmful effects of plastic on the environment.
In this article, youll learn the different facts about plastic and paper bags, the benefits of reusables and some tips to make the most out of your reusable bags. Positive and negative impacts of existing plastic bag bans. Around 4 percent of world oil production is used as a feedstock to make plastics, and a similar amount is consumed as energy in the forming process. From katy perrys song fireworks to a random episode of family guy, somehow a mindless act of a piece of plastic being tossed around in the blowing wind has made an impression on todays culture. Hazard to children polythene bags can be dangerous to children.
The plastic grocery bags are made from ethylene,a nonrenewable resource. Harmful effects of plastics on health and environment h. Exposure to harmful chemicals during manufacturing, leaching in the stored food items while using plastic packages or chewing of plastic teethers and toys by children are linked with severe adverse health outcomes such as cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, endocrine disruption, developmental and reproductive effects etc. Plastic bags are quite commonly mistaken for food by animals, especially when the bags carry food residues, are brightly coloured or are animated by the movement of water. Plastic pollution this module1 is intended for elementary or secondary education teachers interested in teaching their classroom about plastic pollution and for anyone interested in learning about the impacts of plastic pollution on our environment and society and actions we can take to diminish this problem. The need to implement various measures to save planet earth has become even more urgent as we continue to inch towards an obvious disaster that we have created for ourselves. Plastic shopping bags also pose health risks to human populations over the years as they leach toxins into water supplies. When we actually count the number of bags we bring in weekly, it can spur us to take action. Bans on plastic bags harm the environment just facts. Around the globe, people buy about one million drinking bottles made of plastic every minute, and we make use of approximately five trillion singleuse plastic bags yearly around the world. Altkleider image by marem from polythene bags, commonly known as plastic bags, are popular packaging materials. Also, when plastic breaks down when put on a high temperature, it absorbs more dangerous toxins easily like the harmful pesticides such as ddt, pcb, and pah. Plastic has been seeing an increased usage with the course of time. How plastic affects animals and harms them plastic soup.
It cost more to recycle a bag than to produce a new one. Even though they are one of the modern conveniences that we seem to be unable to do without, they are responsible for causing pollution, killing wildlife, and using up the precious resources of the earth. Harmful effects of plastic waste disposal sciencing. Different reports 15 showed that plastic bags are still causing severe environmental pollutions and also human and. Plastics have been around for more than 100 years and without a doubt, they have been extremely useful, however when you see them blowing around in the streets causing entanglement in animals, clogging up of drainages causing flooding, posing dangers. The solar impulse label is granted to innovative solutions to plastic pollution that meet high standards of sustainability and profitability. Many countries have banned plastic bags due to public concern over the serious negative impact on the environment and agriculture, especially, in agricultural countries, such as bangladesh, india, pakistan, south africa, etc. Many countries have banned plastic bags due to public concern over the serious negative impact on the environment and agriculture, especially, in agricultural countries, such as bangladesh, india. As plastic bag bans go into effect, some question the. The harmful effects of using plastic are as follows. They eat it, they get caught in it, or get sick because of it.
Many animals, including whales, dolphins, turtles, penguins, and dolphins, ingest plastic bags as they mistake them food. This huge biodegradation time leads to a buildup of more and more plastic bags in our landfills 6. Effect of plastic grocery bags on environment and its reuse. Harmful effects of plastic harmful effects of plastic. There are also toxic monomers, which have been linked to cancer and reproductive problems. Drinking water, soda, various food products and even condiments come in plastic bottles. When plastic artifacts enter the drainage and sewerage system, they block the pipes and the drains causing waterlogging. Consumer product safety commission, every year about 25 children in. Harmful effects of plastics improper disposal of plastics poses a number of problems. Because they never break down completely, plastic bags can clog storm drains and other areas which can eventually cause severe flooding. Plastics degrades faster in the sea, but it also leaves the harmful chemical into it, making it even more dangerous to the life on the earth. About 100,000 animals, such as dolphins, turtles, whales, penguins are killed every year due to these bags.
Nearly all plastic is recycled and turned into diesel which is used to power electric generators, vehicles and farm machinery etc. Polythene bags, commonly known as plastic bags, are popular packaging materials. First, they are manufactured from oil, creating further demand for environmentally damaging oil extraction. Find out its causes and effects, innovative solutions and how you can contribute to stop it. Plastic bags are very popular with both retailers as well. Jan 11, 20 the raw material for plastic bags are petroleumand natural gas manufacture take 4% of worldsoil production. Plastic bag bans become law in parts of the country in regions impacted by the ban, consumers will have the option to purchase paper or reusable bags for a fee. This litter is also a serious threat to animals and their habitats.
Pdf thousands of plastic factories are producing tons of plastic bags which are very. In addition to the use of natural resources and waste from plastic bag production, plastic bags can increase the risk of flooding. Finally, analysis of the detrimental effects that plastic bags. An evaluation of the effects of californias proposed plastic. Most of austrias larger supermarket chains have voluntarily stopped providing customers plastic bags. Apr 29, 20 harmful effect of plastic bags plastic bags have rapidly becoming popular among consumers and retailers due to its convenience and functionality and it comes at a relatively low cost. Collectively, these harmful chemicals are known to cause the following severe health problems. It takes hundreds of years for plastic bags to decompose and while they do, they release toxins into our soil, lakes, rivers and oceans. In the proposed ordinance the consumer has three choices.
The real reason that the worlds landfills werent overflowing with plastic was because most of it ended up in an ocean fill u. Plastic buried deep in landfills can leach harmful chemicals that spread into groundwater. Whether you burn or throw plastic bags, all the chemicals are released which can cause harm to the society. Plastic bags pollution effects and solutions green. A field survey of the city of sanaa and the surrounding areas, yemen article pdf available november 2014 with 115,274 reads how we measure reads. The effects of plastic bags on the environment are really quite devastating. While plastic has a lot of important uses, it also has a lot of negative effects that are detrimental to humans. The worst effects of plastic bags that cause environmental. So, even if all plastic bags were banned, the impact on overall litter would be relatively insignificant. Thousands of plastic factories are producing tons of plastic bags which are very popularly used by the people for shopping purposes because of its ease, cheapness and convenience of use but their very hazardous negative impact is never highlighted or, at the very least, openly discussed in a more serious tone.
Although plastic bags make up only a small percentage of all litter, the impact of these bags is nevertheless significant. Plastic bags dry out into a fine dust if left in the hot sun so they do decompose but these can also be melted along with the plastic bottles and refined into oil or fuel. The challenges posed by plastic bags can also be mitigated through sustainable consumption that can be facilitated by recycling of used plastic bushnell n. People are exposed to chemicals from plastic multiple times per day through. Qlwlrqri3odvwlf plastic is an organic material manufactured from petroleum derivatives. This should be rephrased to encourage the use of reusable bags or no bag at all. Plastic bags drifting through the wind have many references in popular culture.
There are various ways on how plastic bags can harm the health of humans and the entire environment. Harmful effects from use of polythene bags healthy living. Singleuse disposable plastic bags are suffocating the planet, with 60,000 plastic bags being consumed in the u. This article highlights the effects of plastic pollution, while also telling you about the causes of this problem, and some solutions. The effects of plastic bags on environment healthguidance. Jun 21, 2018 90% people aware of harmful effects of plastic bags, but still use it. Impact of national bans and levies on plastic bag usage.
There are many different viewpoints on whether plastic bags are bad for the. Assessing the impact of the complete ban on plastic carry bag. Among the harmful effects of plastics is that they affect the natural order of feeding. It is also important that people be educated and informed on the negative effects of the plastic bags in order to refrain from poor disposal and littering. But, most of us are blissfully unaware of the repercussions that are occurring and. The impacts of plastic waste on our health and the environment are only just becoming apparent. Download 10page essay on harmful effects of plastic on the environment 2020. Secondly, littered plastic bags are a threat to animals. Decline plastic bags at the checkout counter and remind the cashier and others around you that plastic bags hurt the environment. Plastic pollution is a major threat to our planet and oceans. Harmful effects from use of polythene bags health faq. Watch this video to know how plastic bags lead to environmental pollution, and.
The state of california banned singleuse plastic bags at large retail stores and requires a minimum ten cent charge for reusable plastic bags 28. While the recyclable symbol of three arrows in a circle is on many plastic shopping bags in the us, it often is a marketing trick. During the extended process of plastic packaging production, plasticizers are added to alter properties of the plastic, including increasing its resilience. It can prevent seeping of water into the soil, reaching sunlight into water. Serious effects of plastic pollution on our health. While there are many objections to the banning of plastic bags based solely on their convenience, the damage to the environment needs to be controlled. Assessment of impacts of options to reduce the use of singleuse. It cannot be quickly degraded and damages the atmosphere if burnt. This could worsen the situation of malaria in a highly endemic area like mangalore city. The improperly disposed of food bags, when eaten by animals, cause stomach and intestine related disease which even lead to suffocation and death. Industrial development of fossil fuels into a wide array of plastics changed formulations in everything from insulation to mechanicals to paint, and plastic is still a ubiquitous component of every building assembly. Animals and sea creatures are hurt and killed every day by discarded plastic bags a dead turtle with a plastic bag hanging from its mouth isnt a pleasant sight but mistaking plastic bags for food is commonplace amongst marine animals.
The harmful effects of plastic on human health and the. This document discusses the environmental situation of the local washington area being affected. Perhaps most ominously, plastics buried in landfills can leach harmful chemicals into groundwater and therefore into the water supply, and the bpa in. On land plastic bags are consumed by animals, just. Even when plastic bags are properly disposed of they end up in landfills. Using custom reusable grocery bags over plastic or paper bags can save on money, resources and have a positive impact on the environment as well. Sometimes plastic such as polythene bags, get buried under the soil, this makes the soil toxic. Using plastic bags in packaging of hot bread and meals makes these bags. Promotion of plastics substitutes and safe disposal of plastic waste requires. Iv bags and tubing alone constitute up to 25% of hospital waste. Plastic bag litter can clog drainage systems and result in those systems failing and flooding breaking out, which can result in damage. It is also worth looking at what has happened in practice as a result of plastic bag bans. In september, british prime minister david cameron called on supermarkets to reduce usage of plastic bagsor prepare for national restrictions.
They are so inexpensive and convenient that most households use them. If consumers all choose either recyclable paper bags or no bags,or a combination of the two, the objective would fail. Plastic clogs their intestines and leads to slow starvation. Harmful effects of plastic a sea change in building technology arrived in the 1950s with the age of plastic. From katy perrys song fireworks to a random episode of family guy, somehow a mindless act of a piece of plastic being tossed around in the. Plastic bags can have various negative impacts on the environment. Pdf using plastic bags and its damaging impact on environment. Mar 04, 20 carryout bags to reusable carryout bags. In addition to problems like choking the drains, the littered plastic bags are breeding ground for mosquitoes when rain water gets collected in them. Problem and solutions plastic pollution in the oceans and on dry land is a terrible plague that needs to be addressed through responsible environmental. Plastic bags are very popular with both retailers as well as consumers because they are cheap, strong, lightweight. Efforts to voluntarily reduce plastic bags and recycle bags have proven ineffective.
Well, i have not bought a plastic trash bag in nearly ten years because i use my walmart plastic bags daily so i recycle plastic bags and i am sure others do. The negative economic impact of visible plastic carrier bag litter on coastal and. Polyethylene is used in packaging, plastic bags and plastic film. The harmful effects of plastic bags every once in a while the government passes out an order banning shop keepers from providing plastic bags to customers for carrying their purchases, with little lasting effect. Plastic bags create visual pollution problems and can have harmful effects on aquatic and terrestrial animals. Plastic packaging is produced from natural gas, which strains a resource that could be put to other uses. But, most of us are blissfully unaware of the harmful effects of the use of plastic bags. Oct 09, 2014 on average, 300 million tons of plastic are produced around the globe each year.
Most mammals are too big to get caught up in a plastic bag. The actual role of plastic waste in causing these health impacts is uncertain. The logic goes that by banning singleuse plastic bags. Floating plastic waste can survive for dozens of centuries and disrupt habitats by shuttling microbes to and fro. Plastic is a nonbiodegradable product, with the potential to cause great harm to the environment. There is no way to strictly limit the effects of plastic bags on the environment because there is no disposal method. The environmental impacts of plastic bag use include.
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