Plastic Waste

Plastic Waste

Environmental pollution remains as a major social issue in America today. Pollution from plastics is the specific form of pollution that I decided to address. Plastic pollution affects me on a personal level. This issue also affects my community and the world in general.  In terms of research, plastic pollution has been established to be a threat to life. Marine life is more at risk due to plastics being dropped into the oceans and seas. It has been established that most species of marine organisms are possibly in danger due to plastic waste (Derraik, 2002). This plastics could either entangle the animal or the plastic could hinder biological activities necessary for survival such as breathing. An estimate 5 trillion of plastic waste is found in our seas according to a research done (Wilcox, Sebille, & Hardesty, 2015).This figures means that more and more of our water bodies are at risk. Sea animals and sea birds also risk mechanical injury due to plastics. It also could lead to deaths via the exposure to some of the chemicals which are in the plastics. Marine animals can also be affected by ingesting the plastics. On land, plastics are an eyesore to the human population around it. It also poses a risk of littering the environment. Plastics could get stuck onto various objects around us. It can be on buildings, fences or any other structure.  Air pollution also results when plastics are in our environment. The combustion of plastics emit several toxins that cause pollution. Inhalation of these toxins cause respiratory diseases.

This issue is important to me due to my own interests regarding environmental protection. I usually love visiting the beach, and there was a specific time that I visited it after it had rained for the first time in a long while. I found a lot of debris in the ocean water which made it impossible for me to swim there. The water was also so dirty and looked like it could cause diseases. This meant that the pollution prevented me from being able to enjoy my day to day activities. The reasons I chose this issue stems from the above incident. To add on it, I since then read extensively on pollution. My findings regarding plastic waste pollution drove me into finding out what was being done by relevant authorities regarding to this type of pollution. I have been able to take part in various events which called for a stop in terms of the use of plastics. The long term solution that exists is the use of recyclable forms of packaging. These packaging material should also be degradable which will mean that our planet can easily help in degrading these materials. I was able to talk with some members of my community who expressed how they felt affected by plastic pollution. One member told me how the accumulation of plastics around various places occasionally cause the accumulation of pools of water. This water could be harmful if it were to come to contact with children playing. Another member told me how the pollution has meant that there are declining numbers in fish. This means that many people who depend on fishing could potentially lose their source of income. The pollution also affects tourism since the presence of such debris in water bodies discourages beach sports and events such as surfing. These activities are useful to the community since they generate income and employment to various people.

It is our individual responsibility, wherever we are to ensure that plastics cease to be used. Be it be straws, plastic bags or even plastic bags, our world will be a better place without them. Many organizations are actively involved in pushing for more laws that prevent the use of plastics. We can also join in to ensure our world is a better place each day. The community members I spoke to pledged to be actively involved in fighting against pollution by plastics. I believe this war can be won if we all stood up to be counted.

                       An image showing plastic pollution in a beach in Ghana.

References

Derraik, J. G. (2002). The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: a review. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 44(9), 842-852. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(02)00220-5

Wilcox, C., Sebille, E. V., & Hardesty, B. D. (2015). Threat of plastic pollution to seabirds is global, pervasive, and increasing. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(38), 11899-11904. doi:doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1502108112