As per current scenario, it become mandatory to ban Single Use Plastic to ensure safe future ahead. As consequences are devasting, we already are facing Global Warming effects as a part of it. If we still continue to neglect environment, time is not far to show us serious consequence which unexpectable then currently we are facing.
Definition of Single Use Plastic:
- Single Use Plastic is a piece of plastic which meant to be thrown or recycled out after single use. It is result of our convenience to overcome durability and repeated use, making them thrown away to environment as a prime pollutant.
- A 2018 U.N. Environment report on single use plastic, defines Single-use plastics, often also referred to as disposable plastics, are commonly used for plastic packaging and include items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled.
- In a whole world over 300 million tons of plastic produced every year, amongst it 50% is single use plastic. As we know very well it do not decompose fully and slowly converted in to microplastic. Microplastic are of high risk to environment and very hard to clean it up, it is already spread in Oceans, Rivers, etc.
- “Many of these tiny plastic particles are swallowed by farm animals or fish who mistake them for food,” says UN Environment. “And it may serve onto your plates.”
Examples of Single use plastic:
- Plastic Containers.
- Water Bottles,
- Plastic forks, spoons, knives,
- Plastic shopping bags,
- Plastic coffee cups lids,
- Plastic soda bottles.
- Food packaging,
- Grocery Bags,
- Cutlery,
- Cigarette buts,
- Straw and stirrers,
- And many more.
United Nation on single use plastic:
- The United Nations has declared a plastic crisis, which is causing a plastic crisis in our environment, on our land, and in our bodies.
- The majority of the plastic we use is single use, which is causing a plastic crisis in our environment and on our land.
- Plastic in our landfills and in our oceans is causing a health crisis for animals and lead them to death.
- The plastic in our landfills and in our oceans is also polluting our environment, which is causing damage to our ecosystem and the health of our wildlife.
- The United Nations is working to reduce the amount of single-use plastic in our environment and in our bodies.
- The United Nations has created the Global Pact for the Environment, which aims to reduce the amount of single-use plastic in our environment.
- The United Nations has also created the Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to reduce the amount of single-use plastic in our environment and in our bodies.
- The United Nations is working to pass the Global Pact for the Environment, which will help to reduce the amount of single-use plastic in our environment.
What are the reasons to ban single use plastic?
- Plastic is very pervasive in our society. We use it in almost every aspect of our lives. It comes into contact with our bodies when wrapping it around bottles and packaging and also in our food we eat.
- One of the most common issues we face on a daily basis is plastic. We use plastic in our food packaging, our water bottles, and our shopping bags.
- By 2025, the world’s oceans will contain more plastic than fish if plastic pollution continues to increase at this rate as per sources. Single-use plastics contribute to plastic pollution, both in land and sea.
- Plastic is both persistent and numerous. Its degradability is also remarkable. More plastic means more ocean pollution, while less plastic means less.
- Plastic is not biodegradable-it degrades into smaller pieces that do not decay into nothingness but instead persist in the environment for up to hundreds of years, perhaps indefinitely.
- The amount of plastic we use is unsustainable and has polluted our environment and our land.
Effects of single use plastic on environment and human health:
- Some Plastic contains toxins, poisons and pollutants which enter human bodies where they cause several diseases, including cancer and can damage nervous systems, lungs and reproductive organs.
- The amount of single-use plastic pollution in our oceans and on our land is reaching crisis levels. The majority of plastic does not end up in landfills or the ocean. Instead, plastic ends up in our waterways, on our land, and in the bodies of animals and humans. It kills sea animals, sours our oceans, and threatens our health and environment.
- It hampers marine life and disturbing marine ecosystem which leads to imbalance nature.
- Plastic waste also clogs our drains, litter our streets and pollutes our waterways. This plastic pollution is killing our environment and our wildlife
- Production, disposal and incineration of plastic lead to increase in Carbon Dioxide.
- It is less reused and non-biodegradable so it is very tough to dispose, which ends in environment pollution. It becomes slow poison as time goes on and it accumulates in form of micro plastics.
- When disposable plastics decompose in environment, it emits dangerous greenhouse gases.\
List of countries who ban on single use plastic by one or other way:
- The government of Bangladesh was the first to introduce a total ban on lightweight plastic bags in 2002. The country imposed the ban after officials discovered that the bags had blocked drainage systems during devastating floods, the BBC reported. Bangladesh has also created a lucrative and natural alternative to plastic. Bangladesh has also created a lucrative and natural alternative to plastic. A scientist has found a way to turn jute — the plant fiber used to create burlap sacks — into a plastic-like material. The new bags are biodegradable and Recyclable.
- Rwanda, US, Canada, Denmark, China, Australia, UK had already ban Plastic by one or other way.
- Kenya bans on use of single use plastic in Jun-2017.
- Rwanda banned plastic in 2008.
- Morocco banned Jul-2016.
- France bans on single-use plastic straws, plates, cups and other products as of 1 January 2020.
- Zimbabwe banned polystyrene used in food containers in July-2017, and also banned single use plastic in next following year.
- Thailand banned it on 2020.
- India bans in 2017.
- And many more.
What we can do or how we can contribute:
- The best way to reduce the impact of single-use plastics on climate change is to stop using this type of plastic. This task can seem quite difficult in a world full of plastic packaging. However, even just small changes can have a large impact. Here are some things to do to limit your single-use plastic waste:
- Use a reusable water bottle like made up steel, glass, etc.
- Bring a reusable bag to the store.
- Carry a water bottle everywhere.
- Use reusable plates or make utensils with you for eat out.
- Avoid overly packaged items at the grocery store such as pre-cut fruits and vegetables
- Repurpose old bottles or containers.
- Use of reusable bags made up of cloth, jute, etc.
- we should use single-use cutlery only when necessary.
- We should keep plastic out of our waste stream is the single most effective thing we can do for the environment.
- By encouraging people to take action, we can collectively tackle plastic pollution and protect our beaches and oceans for future generations.
Single Use plastic ban notification by Ministry of Environment And Forest, Government Of India