Negative Impact of Plastic on the Environment Essay Sample

In recent times, plastic pollution has been a tremendous impact on the environment, as its usage is increasing day by day and there isn’t any effective large-scale method invented to dispose them. Hence, they pile up and accumulate in landfills and the ocean. Plastic pollution is an environmental problem that has been identified as one of the top environmental challenges that our generation faces. Plastic, which is considered a symbol of modern society, is harmful to our health and is causing big problems to our ecosystem. It is found everywhere in the world because it's so cheap and easy. Plastic production has now come to the point that it is impossible to avoid it and we are now paying a very heavy price for it. As UTA college students, we should be more aware of the negative effects of plastic on our environment. We can start by reusing our lunch baskets, and not buying plastic wrappers when we buy in bulk. We should also try to reduce our plastic use at home. We can start by changing our plastic bottles to reusable ones and looking for other, eco-friendly packaging alternatives. We are aware that the plastic things we use are recyclable or reusable, but we still toss them away. Even if we strive to reduce, reuse, or recycle plastic, we will still have an influence on the environment. We all understand what the phrases above signify, yet we seldom use them in our daily lives.

Plastic bottles, plastic to-go containers, plastic cups and cutlery, and other plastic containers constitute a significant threat to our environment since we do not use them correctly. We do not utilize them sensibly; after reusing them, we simply go to a bin and toss them in it; we do not take care to throw them in a container labeled "Recyclable Items"; instead, we recklessly throw them in any bin we come across. As a result, plastics wind up in a landfill, where they will remain indefinitely, spewing dangerous chemicals that end up in our bodies. If nothing is done, landfills will become overburdened with plastic waste, and there will soon be insufficient space to dispose of our garbage. There was a statement regarding this in New York Times which is “Last year, the City Council passed legislation to require the recycling of rigid plastics — all those containers for yogurt or Chinese takeout, as well as others like medicine bottles and flower pots — and divert 8,000 more tons of plastic from landfills and incinerators each year. But that expansion hinges not just on the opening of the new recycling plant, but also on an assessment of costs.” Although there are many valuable usages of plastic, there are also many environmental consequences. Findings from the Journalist resource article include that On average, 300 million tons of plastic are produced around the globe each year. Of this, 50% is for disposable applications such as packaging and plastics manufacture makes up 4.6% of the annual petroleum consumption in the U.S., using roughly 331 million barrels per year. None of this energy is recovered when plastics are disposed of in landfills, and very little is recovered when plastic waste is incinerated.

Other negative impacts of plastics are the usage of plastic bags and water bottles. The use of plastic bags has become so prevalent in modern society that it is easy to take them for granted. We use plastic bags to store our food, buy our products, and even for household chores. The ease of convenience and versatility of plastic bags has made their use widespread, but the negative effects of plastic bags on the environment have become increasingly evident. The negative effects of plastic bags on the environment include the pollution of waterways and marine life, the death of wildlife, and even the degradation of the ozone layer. The bottom line is that they should be eliminated from our lives. The good news is that the use of other bags, like woven or cotton bags, is not only better for the environment but also better for our health. Here is an infographic by the UK Environment Agency which concluded: “that a cotton bag has to be used 131 times to equal the environmental impact of producing one plastic bag.”.

Plastics isn’t just a landfill or waste problem; it has now become a problem to human life as well. Every one of our bodies contains a petrochemical burden. 93% of us have BPA in our bodies. Even babies in the womb are dosed with these toxins as demonstrated in a shocking study on industrial chemicals, pollutants, and pesticides in umbilical cord blood. Plastic is a complex material that can be made from many different components. However, the plastic chemicals we ingest are linked to a wide range of harmful health effects, including cancer, birth defects, immune system, early sexual maturation and decreased male fertility, and aggressive behavior

There are many types of plastic such as Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) which is used in water bottles, Low—density polyethylene (LDPE) used in plastic bags, Polystyrene (PS), High—density polyethylene (HDPE) used in shampoo bottles, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which is used in drainage pipes. Above mentioned plastic, LDPE and PS are recyclable and not reusable as they have a lower number of microns so we should not buy them or if bought don’t forget to recycle them. HDPE and PET are both reusable, so we should reuse and recycle them. Even though PVC is recyclable plastic, we cannot recycle it because of the presence of harmful chemicals like di-(2-ethyl hexyl)phthalate (DEHP). It has many negative impacts such as “Several rodents and human studies have found correlations between DEHP exposure and harmful health effects, including changes to the female and male reproductive systems, increased waist circumference and insulin resistance.” Because plastics are made from non-renewable resources, they can't be recycled, thus the vast majority of them end up in landfills or the oceans. Plastic can be found in up to 80% of marine waste, which can then be ingested by marine animals and become permanently lodged in their mouths for the remainder of their lives. Human lives are lost as a result of drinking water contaminated with high levels of BPA, which then degrades into plastic garbage.

People may think that they alone cannot do anything of this plastic pollution thing, but the truth is they are the ones who can stop this. Let us assume there are 50,000 people in a city and they use a new grocery bag every day which is 50,000 bags per day, what if they all think they alone cannot do anything than in a year there would be a total of 18.25 million bags lying in some landfills. Now if everyone thinks to reuse plastic bags for a month then there would be only 50,000 bags per month which sums out to be 600,000 bags per year which is 1/30 times what was before. Another way to increase recyclability is by financial incentives, usually in the form of bottle deposits, making recycling more convenient through curbside pickup and other ways. Other DIY techniques for reusing plastic items around the house include using a milk jug to water plants or storing pet supplies in a large plastic snack container with cheese crackers to keep ants at bay.

Many journalists, authors, and researchers have written about how horrible plastic is for our environment and the threats it poses to humans and animals, which is true, and we (UTA students) should listen to what they have to say. Although plastics indeed pose a threat to the environment, this does not mean that we should ignore their benefits entirely. Plastic has several advantages, including a long lifespan that encourages reuse, being an affordable and low-cost material, and the plastic sector contributing significantly to the global economy. PPE (Personal protective equipment) kits, which were utilized by doctors, nurses, and everyone to protect themselves from the virus during the pandemic, are the best illustration of plastic.

In sum, we have a problem. We have a huge amount of plastic waste, and we have no clear plan for how to deal with it. In fact, the number one way to reduce plastic waste is to reduce our usage of plastic. Plastic is here to stay. We need to figure out how to reuse plastic. We need to find alternatives to single-use plastics. But until we do, we need to keep using it in a safe and responsible way.