Tag: Plastic

Why do we need to Ban Plastic? Impact on Economy

Article

October 17, 2022
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4 min
1 year
740 words

Tagged ban plastic, economy, Environment, marine life, Plastic

Why do we need to Ban Plastic? Impact on Economy

Plastic as a substance is non-biodegradable and thus plastic bags remain in the environment for hundreds of years, polluting it immensely. It has become very essential to ban plastic bags.

Keywords: plastic, ban plastic, plastic bags, environment, marine life, economy

Economy vs Environment

Plastic bags have become part and parcel of our regular life. From tiny pens to used containers, plastics possess the lion’s share. Plastic bags, though helpful in many ways, have proven to be extremely harmful to the environment.

Plastic as a substance is non-biodegradable and thus plastic bags remain in the environment for hundreds of years, polluting it immensely. It has become very essential to ban plastic bags.

WHY DO WE NEED TO BAN PLASTIC?

Negative impact on Environment: The majority of plastic bags are made of polypropylene, a material derived from petroleum and natural gas. Both of them are non-renewable fossil fuel-based resources, which contribute to global climate change.
High cost of Production: The production of plastic material is very energy intensive.
Threat to Marine Life: When plastics are washed away in oceans, they release toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) and PS oligomer which end up in animal guts or ocean shorelines. Plastics sometimes are directly consumed by fish and other marine animals and these animals either die due to the entanglement of plastic components in organs and subsequent organ failures or the plastic ends up in their guts and enters the food chain.
Harmful to Human Health: Toxic chemicals from plastic bags can damage the blood and tissues. Frequent exposures can lead to cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, hormone changes, endocrine disruption and other serious ailments.
Difficult to Decompose: It takes 500-1000 years for plastic to decompose and hence it is a permanent pollutant. Plastics are composed of long-chain polymers of carbon and are developed from mostly petroleum products.

EFFECT ON ENVIRONMENT OF BANNING PLASTIC

Marine life will Improve: Marine animals often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish or plankton, leading them to consume the litter and become ill or die.
Drainage Infrastructures will run more Efficiently: Plastic litter often clogs drainage systems, causing unnecessary flooding.
Plastic Bag Bans Reduce the need for Petroleum: Banning plastic bags will minimize the dependency on limited non-renewable resources.
Decrease the Mosquito Population: Discarded plastic bags collect rainwater and create a breeding ground for mosquitoes, some of which could carry the West Nile Virus or Triple E Virus.

EFFECT ON THE ECONOMY TO BAN PLASTIC

Have both positive and negative effect

Impact on Trade: The Plastic industry in the country employs about 40 lakh people which includes more than 30,000 processing units. A ban on plastics can affect the industry, posing questions about trade and employment.
Best for Branding: Plastic bags offer the easiest way for printing the business logo, company name and other relevant information. Printing cost is very low compared to paper and cloth bags.
Cheaper than Paper Cloth Packaging: A piece of paper bag costs more than a plastic bag. Purchasing plastic bags in large quantities will be beneficial for small businesses and improve profit margins.
Size and Compact: Plastic bags are easy to open, pack and transport. That is the reason why they are used widely in the logistics and retail industries. In contrast, reusable cloth bags consume more space and are quite heavy.
Plastic Bags Bans enhance the Economy: Bans on plastic bags cause an uptick in business for reusable bag manufacturers and lead to increased employment opportunities.
Eliminating Plastic Bags reduces the Cost of Goods: Stores have to factor in the cost of disposable bags into their prices. By eliminating plastic bags, stores can lower prices,

CONCLUSION

Plastic bags affect many people, not only the consumers but plastic bags also affect the environment and animals. We are affected by plastic bags because we all dispose of them incorrectly. And because we are unaware of the consequences of using plastic bags. Plastic bags are extremely harmful to the environment because we use them in massive quantities.

Banning plastic is the need of the hour but one first needs to look at its repercussions on the economic situation of the countries. Any step to be taken should be weighed in terms of its impact on closures of plants and job losses that would lead to a rise in unemployment level at a time of economic downturn. A major decline in retail employment will occur.

Alternatives to plastic can be more beneficial or worsen, which is a separate debate in itself.

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AUTHOR: TANISHKA RANJAN

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Impact of Waste Disposal on Public Health

Article

October 17, 2021
/ Leave a Comment on Impact of Waste Disposal on Public Health

5 min
2 years
822 words

Tagged Disposal, Health, Plastic, Public Health, Waste

Impact of Waste Disposal on Public Health

Plastic is also one of the major factors in waste generation. It has various applications such as clothes, food packaging, medical, electronic, bottles, etc. It consists of synthetic polymers, and causes a significant increase in environmental pollution, leading to an environmental burden. Its effects are worrisome. It was estimated that plastic was produced 380 million tonnes in 2018. It has been predicted also by the end of 2050; oceans will be filled with plastics more than fishes. It is killing marine lives.

Abstract

AUTHOR : DR. SHRUTI

Keywords:- Waste, Disposal and Health

Worldwide waste is generated at an uncontrolled rate affecting the human and the ecosystem. Waste can be food, construction, mining, industrial, sludge, old televisions, plastic, paper, clothes, furniture, and even health waste, etc. Modernization and innovation are very hazardous, leading to destructive effects on earth-land, the air, water and of course health. As the population is increasing, the rate of generation of waste is also increasing. Ideally waste is collected and dumped into the landfills but due to the negligence of humans only this process is not being followed properly causing serious health effects followed by the affecting environment. Waste dumped into open places has many adverse effects such as climate change, depletion, unwanted chemical reactions, and even global warming due to chemical wastes which generate greenhouse gases. It causes water, soil, and land pollution. Apart from affecting the environment, it leads to an outbreak of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Some more adverse effects are making fertile land infertile, the spread of germs, harming aquatic life due to toxicity of the water.

Effects of improper water disposal

Water Pollution
Air Pollution
Soil Pollution
Health
Marine Life
Economy
Climate
On a whole, it is killing the planet

Effects on Health

Solid waste spreads infectious disease, making workers more vulnerable.
Hazardous wastes make children prone to polluting agents such as chemical wastes.
Wastes from industries cause negative effects on health. Water from industries causes contamination of water bodies nearby followed by affecting lives such as plants and animals depending on that water-body for their water needs.
Medical or hospital waste poses a greater risk to health. Wastes such as syringes, needles, bandages, infectious wastes, etc are responsible for creating major health hazards.
Recycling also causes health issues if not done properly. Workers working with toxic wastes are prone to infections.

Measures required for solid waste disposal

Incineration – Also known as combustion. It is the most used method for the disposal of wastes. It reduces waste volume by 85-90% by converting waste into ashes or gases. Although burning causes air pollution, filters installed in incinerators capture the gases and help to save the environment.
Recycling – As the name suggests, it involves the re-use of waste such as cans, metals, steel, bottles, etc. Separate bins are installed in many places to collect recyclable waste separately so that it can be recycled efficiently. This helps us in saving our surroundings. Awareness camps should be arranged more frequently to make the community aware of recyclable products.
Landfill – It is a low-lying area and is generally located far away from residential areas or places where there is no chance of flooding. This is a very easy method for waste disposal. This method helps to keep the animals away from the buried waste. On the other hand, we should be careful that it will not harm underground water as well.
Landfill gas – Gases such as carbon dioxide and methane helps in disposing of organic wastes. On the other hand, these gases affect our environment with a hazardous effect called Global Warming but we can control it by lowering the concentration of gases.

On the other hand, waste can be used as a resource also. We can also produce energy by breaking the wastes into substances which can be used by the public in the future such as kitchen wastes if collected properly can be used as a source of fertilizer. Another method of waste treatment called anaerobic digestion produces biogas which can also be used as fertilizer or compost.

Conclusion

Effects of this waste generation are inevitable. Government should state guidelines for proper waste disposal. Some policies need to be implemented to safeguard our environment. There is an urgent need to protect human health and the ecosystem to lead a healthy life as improper disposal of these wastes leads to an outbreak of many diseases. Recycling should be encouraged by both government and private companies leading to financial benefits also.

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