Use of Biodegradable Products
General Goal: To persuade the audience.
Specific Goal: To persuade the audience on why the use of biodegradable products is a simple solution to pollution.
Final Effect: Encourage the audience to use biodegradable products and discourage the use of petroleum-based plastics which are non-biodegradable.
Persuasive Strategies: Pathos and Logos.
Brief Description of Visual Aid: An image of a garbage dump site.
- Introduction
Common ground: It is hard to evade the use of plastic bags in our daily lives. While products and materials such as paper, food scraps and wood are biodegradable, plastics are not. Materials that cannot be broken down or decomposed are known as non-biodegradable. Thus, such products continue piling up over time thus requiring more land for waste disposal. At the same time, when synthetic materials such as plastics are exposed to light, air and water, they emit toxic pollutants. Petroleum-based plastics contain toxins that pollute water supplies and the air. Therefore, a solution is required to reduce these pollution effects on the environment.
Thesis: The use of biodegradable products and plastics effectively reduces pollution, reduces dependence on fossil fuels and reduces the volume of municipal waste.
- Body
- Biodegradable products reduce the volume of municipal waste.
- According to Brennan (2012), biodegradable products and plastics can be composted and hence can be collected together with yard waste and food craps and diverted into composted heaps.
- Biodegradable products break down or decompose quickly and thus can be used as organic fertilizer in the garden or farm.
(Transition: Reduction in Municipal waste means a reduction in pollution)
- Biodegradable products and plastics reduce pollution.
- Biodegradable products are non-toxic since they reduce waste in garbage dumps.
- Biodegradable materials are organic and help reduce emissions by 68% (Saez, 2011).
- They are manufactured from renewable resources such as animal and plant components. This is unlike petroleum-based plastics which are made from fossil fuels which have adverse effects on the environment.
(Transition: It is not only the use of non-biodegradable products that causes pollution, manufacturing them also does)
- Biodegradable products and plastics reduce the demand for fossil fuels.
- While synthetic polymers are manufactured using petroleum derivatives, biodegradable products are made from animal and plant products such as biomass (Bastioli, 2005). Thus, they reduce demand for fossil fuels.
- A reduction in the demand and use of fossil fuels reduces GHG emissions, pollution levels and is economical.
(Transition: biodegradables are not only good at reducing pollution, demand for fossil fuels and municipal waste, their function ability is also quite impressive)
- Biodegradable products are versatile.
- They are not limited to packaging bags or plastics. Instead, they can be used for a wide range of applications including cups and fast-food trays.
- Conclusion
- Non-biodegradable materials cause damage to the environment through pollution.
- Biodegradable products are beneficial to the environment.
- The use of biodegradable products can go a long way in reducing the consequences of plastic pollution.
- Thank you for taking your time to listen to my presentation.
References
Bastioli, C. (2005) Handbook of Biodegradable Polymers. Shrewsbury: Rapra Technology Limited.
Brennan, J. (2012) What are the Benefits of Biodegradable Plastic? National Geographic, 2012. Retrieved from http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/benefits-biodegradable-plastic- 2226.html
Saez, A. (2011) The Advantages of Biodegradable Materials. eHow, 2011. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_8235555_advantages-biodegradable-materials.html
