Plastic pollution is the biggest threat to the environment
From food to medicine, cosmetics, or technology products, people are using environmentally destructive plastics. Which is seriously responsible for sea and natural pollution. Plastic is becoming more popular because it is durable, inexpensive, comes in many shapes, and is easy to find. The mentality and behavior of the consumer society and producers are responsible for this. Plastics are non-biodegradable chemicals, which do not mix easily in the environment. Therefore, plastic has a negative impact on the environment.
When we throw away used plastic, it ends up in drains, canals, rivers, and eventually the sea. As a result, biodiversity is seriously impacted.
According to a recent World Economic Forum report, with 13 million tons of plastic ending up in the ocean each year, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. On the other hand, 33 thousand 800 bottles and bags are falling into the ocean every minute around the world.
The annual amount of 8 million tons is harmful to aquatic life. Plastic products gradually break down into microplastics under the influence of ocean waves and sunlight. Along with water and other food, this microplastic enters the bodies of various organisms.
It can enter the human body through the food we eat, especially fish, and cause severe health issues. The world now uses 60 kg of plastic per capita every year. In industrialized countries such as North America, Western Europe, and Japan, this amount is more than 100 kg per capita.
But hopefully, this amount is still much less in Bangladesh compared to neighboring countries. In 2014, people in Bangladesh used 3.5 kg of plastic per person, according to a report by the non-governmental organization Waste Concern. And the recycling rate is only 9.2 percent. Japan is at the top of plastic recycling in the world.
They are very focused on how to recycle discarded items from industries to households. That is why they store these wastes separately and cleanly. They believe that it is possible to stop the pollution of nature if people want to.
But even though the consumption is low, its harmful effect on the environment of Bangladesh is very high. Bangladesh’s waste management is relatively poor compared to many other countries. Because plastic, glass, paper, cloth, and biodegradable products are not managed separately, non-biodegradable products like plastic end up being mixed in soil and water
People in Bangladesh are not aware of the harmful effects of plastic. As a result, they do not have a culture of properly disposing of certain products. This leads to a large amount of plastic waste in the ocean, mainly from rivers and canals.
To stop plastic pollution, we must make big changes in how we consume, produce, and behave. We also need to change our political thinking. It is crucial to give due consideration to plastic recycling and abide by the regulations imposed by the government without delay.
We should use jute bags instead of polythene bags, and glass jugs instead of plastic ones, and prefer ceramic cups and bamboo, cane, and wooden furniture in our homes to prevent plastic pollution. As a result, this world will become uninhabitable for future generations.
