As the world's ability to cope with the fast-rising manufacturing of disposable plastic products overwhelms the world's capacity to deal with them, plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental challenges. Plastics are made of natural materials like coal, crude oil, gas which take hundreds of years to break down. Though they are very durable and long-lasting, our inability to safely recycle them and dispose of them off causes damage to our ecosystem. This makes them very dangerous for the environment when left bare. It causes harm to humans, animals, the ocean, and organisms worldwide. These also break down into microplastics in the long run which further causes damage to the environment. Now the question is, what can be done about this harmful object from destroying our beautiful earth.
Effective waste management which is noted in high-income countries can also be extended to the developing countries where plastic pollution is on the rise. Only just a small percentage of plastics are recycled worldwide which is quite disheartening as it is causing a lot of damage to our world. Education of individuals concerning how dangerous plastics are to our ecosystem can help to minimize this menace. Environmental protection agencies could also intensify their advocacy for a highly sustainable environment. Companies can also play their part by opting for eco-friendly packages as BOTTA packaging is in the business of doing. The use of recyclable or paper-based packaging would also go a long way to sustain the earth.
Let us all do our parts in protecting the earth not only during Earth Day which is observed once a year. Every day should be Earth Day for us, as we are the inhabitants of this earth and without which we have no place to call home. Let’s take action today!!
Sources
https://www.unep.org/interactive/beat-plastic-pollution/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/plastic-pollution
