Plastic should be banned
part-3
Disposed
plastic materials can remain in the environment for up to 2,000 years and
longer. Source: DiGregorio, Barry E. "Biobased Performance Bioplastic: Mirel," Chemistry & Biology 2009
Plastic poisons our food chain.
Plastic costs billions to abate.
The fight against the spread and increasing use of
plastic bottled water is not only for the environment.
During the manufacture of plastic water bottles, chemicals are used and these can leach to your drinking water anytime. In fact, the lining in the walls of canned goods even have chemicals that can contaminate the food in it, making it unadvisable to buy canned foods and drinks regularly. Take note that a plastic bottle should never be used twice because it contains polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE), which can release chemicals like DEHA and Benzyl Butyl Phthalate or BBP. DEHA is a known carcinogen, which has the potential to bring about degenerative diseases while the BBP is known for its disruptions on the normal cycle of body hormones. Not only that; in the Journal of Environmental Monitoring found out that some PET bottled water containers leach antimony. Such metal can cause skin, eye, and lung irritations when exposed to it in large doses. Always remember too that plastic is permeable, which can expose you easily to a number of bacteria whenever you use it repeatedly.
Pollution
Plastic have led to a great increase in the
pollution levels as the majority of rubbish carries more plastics than other
stuff. As well as the manufacturing of
polyethylene bags (plastic bags) which are made up of crude oil and natural gas
are nonrenewable energy sources, meaning they are responsibly for pollution.
Fumes
Since plastic are not bio-degradable, the only way
to get rid of them is to burn them up. Though lighting a match to them is easy,
it has more than its fair share of disadvantages. The biggest of them is that
smoldering plastics can release toxic fumes into the environment, in turn
taking the air pollution to much higher levels, it releases large amounts of toxins, which pollutes
the air.
If the toxins are inhaled for a long period
of time, it can lead to respiratory problems.
Non-renewable/
Non-Biodegradable
One of the main disadvantages of plastic bags is
that they are not renewable or cannot
biodegrade; it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. . The reason
behind this is that they are made of petrochemicals, a non-renewable source of
energy. They can be recycled, but not as easily as paper bags. Plastic bags can
last for as much as hundred of years. In other words, long after you are no
more, the plastic bag used by you will be in existence.
Plastic poisons our food chain.
Even plankton, the tiniest creatures in our oceans, are eating microplastics
and absorbing their hazardous chemicals,
which then accumulate up the food chain, eventually affecting humans.
Chemicals in
plastics are released into the water as well as the atmosphere. Fish easily
become contaminated from the chemicals in the water. This is a direct link of
how plastic chemicals enter the food chain.
» Contaminated plastics when ingested by marine species present a
credible route by which the POPs can enter the marine food web. Source:
Andrady, Anthony L. "Microplastics in the
Marine Environment," Marine Pollution Bulletin 2011
Plastic costs billions to abate.
Everything suffers: tourism, recreation, business, the health of
humans, animals, fish and birds—because of plastic pollution. The financial
damage continuously being inflicted is inestimable. It costs millions
of dollars every year for cleanup of areas exposed to plastic toxins. Many regions have seen a decrease in tourism because of the amount
of pollution in their environment, which can have a serious impact on local
economies.
» The overall natural capital cost of plastic use in the consumer
goods sector each year is US$75 billion. Source: United Nations Environment
Programme "Plastic Waste Causes
Financial Damage of US$13 Billion to Marine
Effects of Drinking Regularly through
Plastic Bottled Water
During the manufacture of plastic water bottles, chemicals are used and these can leach to your drinking water anytime. In fact, the lining in the walls of canned goods even have chemicals that can contaminate the food in it, making it unadvisable to buy canned foods and drinks regularly. Take note that a plastic bottle should never be used twice because it contains polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE), which can release chemicals like DEHA and Benzyl Butyl Phthalate or BBP. DEHA is a known carcinogen, which has the potential to bring about degenerative diseases while the BBP is known for its disruptions on the normal cycle of body hormones. Not only that; in the Journal of Environmental Monitoring found out that some PET bottled water containers leach antimony. Such metal can cause skin, eye, and lung irritations when exposed to it in large doses. Always remember too that plastic is permeable, which can expose you easily to a number of bacteria whenever you use it repeatedly.
Aside from that, there is still an ongoing debate
about the presence of BPA in most plastic bottles. BPA is renowned for its
hormone disrupting properties, which can cause health defects to infants and
unborn babies and health woes to adults in the years to come. However, this
type of plastic is widely used in products that are commonly found in most
households like infant drink and feeding bottles.
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