Foundation Course – English Essay
Problems Associated with the Use of Plastic Bags
Plastic bags are unimaginably inexpensive that no one treats them as worth a thing in stores. They make use of two, three or even four bags when one would otherwise do just as fine without them. Introduced in the year 1970s, the bags currently account for the four in every five bags that are handed at each grocery store. Interestingly, when viewed as a product, plastic bags become unbelievable success fairy-tale.
Notably, the success of these bags means a considerable and rather dramatic increase in the number of sacks found floating in oceans and seas where they starve wildlife choke and strangles alien species and other marine creatures. When they find their ways into the sea, plastic bags are mistaken by these animals for food especially when they carry food materials and or remains. In some cases, the bags being brightly coloured plus their animated movements in water tend to confuse the animals in water. According to Barnes, a British scientist based in England, plastic bags have seen a remarkable increase from rare to almost everywhere in the recent decades. He adds that plastic bags are currently transforming to be the victims of their own success.
A great deal of animals, marine and land alike can get chocked to death with plastic bags while some experience great pains and distress in the event that animals get to swallow them. The amount of plastic bags floating in the world’s greatest oceans has reached an all-time high. The term pacific trash vortex was coined to imply the high concentration of trash, suspended plastic bags and other debris that have remained trapped by the currents. The impact of this menace on marine ecosystems cannot be underestimated due to its serious toxicity and threat to the aquatic life.
Plastic bags are also known for their litter problem. These bags are highly visible an ugly components of the environment. Government agencies and other non-governmental organizations have stepped up measures to ensure that plastic bags are picked up for the sake of environmental conservation. If the use of plastic bags continues, it is projected that the amount of littering in the environment would increase over a short period of time.
The use of plastic bags is a direct indicator of resources lost. Plastic bags are often used for the short and convenient times. Unfortunately, they take the longest time, hundreds of years to decompose or break down in any landfill. While they can be recycled, only a small portion of plastic bags are collected and take n back for processing.
The greenhouse menace is yet another global concern. It is established that the continued use of ten light-weight plastic bags in a week for two years would lead to greenhouse effects that is three times greater than the impact of the common greenhouse gases or even the reusable bags. Notably, a light-weight polythene bag consumes roughly 4.5 times the amount of energy at the point of production compared to all other reusable bags.
We should remember that greenhouse gases have immense benefits that far outweigh the benefits from the green bags. The starch-based compostable bags consume slightly lesser energy compared to the other plastic alternatives but known to emit comparatively larger amounts of carbon dioxide.
Plastic bag littering has become a big environmental eyesore and nuisance that some countries like Bangladesh, Australia, Taiwan, South Africa, and Taiwan among others have resorted to imposing heavy taxes on the use of these materials. In others instances, the use of plastic bags is banned altogether. Based on the success of these countries, the United States and some section of England are considering the same move in a bid to tame the plastic bag menace.
Plastics bags are a big danger to the environment and therefore require such things as answers to help making the amends in the environment. The best answers to some of the thin plastic bags is not necessarily a ban but in essence, a better management. The 3Rs that include reduce, reuse and recycle policy Asia solid strategy for waste management. This chiefly applies all the plastic bags. A few countries in the Asian continent have embraced the principle of 3Rs that are necessary in the recycling of technologies for the thin bags that are widely available.
A number of materials ought to have some sort of management geared towards making the environment a better place. If not carefully managed, plastic papers can be very dangerous and even more than the common plastic bags. It is estimated that close to 85 per cent of the total amount of pollutants come from plastic bags. It is important to come up with means ad ways of regulating the use and sustainability of these environmental eyesores. Regulating the use of plastic bags is very imperative. Since the regulations are not enough, their implementation is a key consideration.
As a matter of urgency and for the sake of safeguarding the environment, it is important for the governments of the day to come up with stringent measures of ensuring that stern actions are taken against perpetrators of such careless littering of the environment. Nonetheless, such measures as community policing should be embraced in areas where there is none to also help in curbing the menace.
References
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Shirreffs, S.M. and Maughan, R.J., 1997. Whole body sweat collection in humans: an improved method with preliminary data on electrolyte content.Journal of Applied Physiology, 82(1), pp.336-341.
Bedding, R.A., 1984. Large scale production, storage and transport of the insect‐parasitic nematodes Neoaplectana spp. and Heterorhabditis spp.Annals of applied biology, 104(1), pp.117-120.
Andrady, A.L. and Neal, M.A., 2009. Applications and societal benefits of plastics. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 364(1526), pp.1977-1984.
