10 points on harmful effects of plastic

Be it food packets, toys, storage packing, furniture or electronic items, plastics are so widely used that imagining our lives without them is impossible. It is one of the best substitutes for wood, thus reducing the cutting of trees and helping the environment. On the other hand, sometimes it poses problems too, for example: when it comes to their disposal. Upon usage, artefacts made from plastic sustain wear and tear and become brittle, so it is necessary to dispose of.

For example, a plastic chair being used for five years cannot be used further or a plastic sachet containing shampoo cannot be reused to store shampoo again. So, what do we do with these items? Most often, these are thrown into the dustbin, which is then collected by the municipal corporation. But what if they are not disposed of properly? We have seen heaps of garbage lying along the roads or in the drains or other water bodies, clogging them. Plastics, supposed to be a boon to the environment is now becoming a bane.

Explore More: Solid Waste Management 

Harmful Effects of Plastics

Improper disposal of plastics poses a number of problems. Some of them are mentioned below:

• The littering of plastics in open spaces creates unhygienic conditions, as it acts as a breeding ground for insects and mosquitoes that cause diseases like malaria and dengue.
• Plastics do not undergo degradation, thus, stay in the soil for many years, which affects soil fertility and degrades the soil quality.
• When plastic artefacts enter the drainage and sewerage system, they block the pipes and the drains causing waterlogging.
• The improperly disposed of food bags, when eaten by animals, cause stomach and intestine related diseases which even lead to suffocation and death.
• Plastic items find their way to the river and other water bodies, which are then swallowed by fish, seabirds, and other marine species, thus leading to suffocation and death.
• The waste from the plastic manufacturing industry is thrown directly into the water bodies, thus affecting the chemical property of water, causing hazards on a very large scale.

Proper disposal and usage of plastic discards can reduce these problems. A set of regulations should necessarily be followed to stop these problems.

Also Read: Waste Disposal

Plastic Waste Management

There are primarily three ways of managing plastics:

• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle

3Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Reduce

This refers to the reduction or decreased consumption of plastic artefacts.

• We can reduce the use of plastic bags and carry jute bags and paper bags to carry items from the market.
• We can reduce the use of plastic containers for storing food and other items and use more durable materials like metal.
• We can avoid using takeaway food containers.

Paper bags

Reuse

• We can use discarded bottles and jars to store food items and water.

Cold drink bottle

• We can reuse plastic bags whenever possible, keeping safety and hygiene in mind.
• We can use broken artefacts and create something new with our own creativity, e.g. discarded water bottles can be used as containers as shown in the figure below.

Discarded PET bottles being used as containers

Recycle

• We can give the old plastic chairs and jars for a recycle and support the cause by using recycled items.
• We can try using recyclable plastic bags whenever possible.

Discarded Plastics being sent for Recycle

Apart from these techniques, we can make changes in our daily lifestyle to make a huge difference towards

Plastic bags are, though, the very convenient and easy choice of millions for its multipurpose usage, its pollution is creating havoc on the planet globally. Plastic bags had easily replaced paper bags for their durability and flexibility, posing a potential threat to the environment and life of human beings and also animals. Humans had not recognized the disastrous consequences that overuse of plastic bags could lead. It has become important to stop the use of plastic bags and save our environment from its disastrous consequences.

Ten Lines on Plastic Bag and its Harmful Effects in English

Get here some sets of 10 lines, 5 lines, 20 lines, few lines and sentences on Plastic Bag and its Harmful Effects for children and students of Classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. I am sure, these lines will really help them in their studies:

10 Lines on Plastic Bag and its Harmful Effects

1) Plastic bags are non-biodegradable.

2) We use it widely in our everyday life, mostly for handling supplies from local stores.

3) Plastic bags have become an integral part of human habitation.

4) The world consumes 1 Trillion Plastic every year.

5) Billions of plastic bags end up as litter.

6) Only 1 in every 20 used bags gets recycled.

7) Dumping of plastic bags poses a threat to the environment.

8) Plastic bags deplete our natural resources.

9) Plastic bags deplete marine life and damage the ecosystem.

10) It poses a threat of suffocation for adolescent children.

10 Lines and Sentences on Plastic Bag and its Harmful Effects

1) Plastic bags can pollute our environment for a longer period.

2) Some plastic react with food items and release dangerous toxins.

3) We should always keep plastic bags away from children.

4) Recycling of plastic is not easy.

5) Around 1 lakh animals die every year because of consuming plastic bags.

6) Improper disposal of plastic bags can make land infertile.

7) The plastic bags in the ocean don't allow air to pass to the marine animals, so they feel suffocated.

8) Improper waste management of plastic bags affects the environment.

9) About 95% of plastic produced in a year gets disposed of through littering.

10) Avoid using plastic and carry a cotton bag to save our environment.

5 Lines on Plastic Bag and its Harmful Effects

1) Plastic bags are non-biodegradable bags.

2) Plastic bags are difficult to recycle.

3) They pollute the whole environment.

4) Plastic bags are threat to aquatic animals also.

5) Plastic bags easily react with packed food items.

20 Lines on Plastic Bag and its Harmful Effects

1) The plastic is a synthetic organic compound.

2) Some plastics are recyclable and biodegradable as well.

3) The plastic can take even more than thousands of years to break down.

4) Plastic bags can clog drainage resulting in flooding of the area around human settlement.

5) Plastic pollution is more serious in countries with poor waste disposal mechanism.

6) As they are lightweight, plastic bags fly over long distances through wind and water.

7) Littered plastic bags pollute our freshwater resources and render the water unfit to use.

8) The soil containing plastic waste produces toxic grains and fruits.

9) All the compounds of plastic are harmful to our health.

10) The government should enforce strict laws banning the use of plastic in any shape or size.

11) Plastic bags are also popular as polythene bags, poly bags or pouches.

12) Plastic bags are non-woven plastic, usually heat-sealed or bonded with an adhesive.

13) Plastic bags are a serious threat to the environment due to their non-biodegradable nature.

14) The biggest use of plastic bags is for packaging, carrying goods etc.

15) Polythene bags break down into smaller toxic compounds, damaging the environment.

16) Many governments have completely banned the commercial use of plastic.

17) Plastic bags threaten the life of stray animals that eat plastic confusing it with their food.

18) Plastic bags provide us portability, durability and minimized space but are also dangerous.

19) The plastic bag has replaced the paper bag, jute bag, wooden boxes and boxes made of paperboard.

20) Plastic bags slowly get into the soil, releasing toxic chemicals and making it infertile.

We must take immediate responsibility for the wellness of our planet and all its living forms, and take a pledge to not to use plastic bags in any form or for any purpose. We must pledge to use other sustainable alternatives such as bags made of paper or other biodegradable materials.

What are 3 harmful effects of plastics?

What are 10 facts about plastic?

What are the 2 harmful effects of plastics?

What are 4 effects of plastic pollution?