World’s Environment Day 2023 Beat plastic Pollution Plastic is a very common synthetic material that is all around us. This is not surprising because it’s cheap to make, long-lasting, flexible, and easy to transport. It started being made in large quantities during World War II and is made from fossil fuels. As more fossil fuels were used to make plastic, it became embedded into every aspect of modern life. It is in our cars, homes, medical devices, clothes, and shampoos. We are currently addicted to plastic.
The negative is we produce 430 million tonnes of plastic annually, yet only use around a third of it before throwing it away. This waste harms us and has the potential to harm our environment, and wildlife. Plastic production has surged over the past 50 years and in the next 20 years, production of plastic is anticipated to double. By 2060, plastic pollution is expected to quadruple if no action is taken. Due to this, it is crucial to move as quickly as possible toward a circular economy that is healthier and more financially feasible. One way to do is through the life cycle approach. Plastic pollution happens because we make a lot of plastic, use it once, and then throw it away.
This creates a big problem because the plastic doesn’t go away like other things. It stays in the environment for a very long time. To solve this, we should take a look at every step of plastic’s life cycle. First, we have to think about how we make plastic. We can try to make less of it and find better ways to make it that don’t harm the environment. Then, we have to think about how we use plastic. Instead of using it just once and throwing it away, we can try to use it more than once. We can also find other materials to use instead of plastic whenever possible. Finally, we have to think about what happens to plastic after we’re done using it.
We need to have better ways to collect it and recycle it so that it can be used again instead of becoming pollution.By looking at all these steps and trying to do things better, we can balance our need for plastic with taking care of the environment. How does plastic pollution affect us? Biodiversity Plastic pollution is a big problem for animals in the water and on land. Every year, a lot of plastic (around 19 to 23 million tonnes) goes into the water and makes animals sick. It can also block their stomachs and hurt their homes.
More than 90% of them have small pieces of plastic in their tummies called “microplastic. Because they are unaware they eat them, they may not grow properly, get sick, or even die because their stomachs get blocked. We need to use less plastic and recycle more to keep animals safe. Climate crisis Plastics have a significant impact on biodiversity and human health, and could emit 19 percent of global GHG emissions by 2040. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions linked to the life cycle of plastics represented 3.4 percent of the global total in 2019. Human health Microplastics can enter the body through inhalation and absorption via the skin and accumulate in organs, including the placenta and have serious health impacts, especially in women. Research is needed to understand their effects, and because of limited and inefficient waste management infrastructure, 40 percent of the world’s garbage is burned, 12 percent of which consists of plastic.
The Economy Plastic is a big business, and people all around the world buy and sell lots of it, which adds up to more than US$1 trillion every year! But there’s a problem. When we use too much plastic and don’t take care of it, it hurts the environment and makes people sick. This costs a huge amount of money—between US$300 billion and US$600 billion every year! So, we need to be careful with plastic and find better ways to use it so that it doesn’t hurt the earth or make people unhealthy.
