Effects of the plastic bags on our environment

Effects of the plastic bags on our environment

Darvesh Karim

Assistant Instructor

Professional Development Center, North

University Road, Konodass, Gilgit.

Ph. No: (+92) 05811-454132-4 Ext: 3017

Fax No: (+92) 05811-454135

Cell No: (+92) 03465419307

Email (Official): darveshkarim@pdcn.edu.pk

Email (Private): dk_hunzai@yahoo.com, darvesh.karim@gmail.com

Online Blogs: www.dkhunza.blogspot.com; www.scribd.com/dk_hunzai

It was raining I had to reach to school, unluckily I didn’t get a van, so I went on foot. When I came to go through a street, which was a short cut, but it was full of water. I was amazed because there was a drainage pipe. As I started to cross it carefully I came to know the reason, as the pipe had blocked due to a plastic bag and water could not pass through it so it was overflowing. These types of scenes are frequently seen in the rainy days. Due to polythene bags such problems are frequent in many areas.

Plastic bags are very dangerous for our environment as they are organic material so they can not be destroyed by any ordinary procedure; if we burn them then very harmful gases are produced as a result air is polluted. If we burry them in ground they are not decomposed and remain deposited there. So there is no any proper and easy way to dispose them off. If they go into water, marine creature eats them and as they are indigestible, they block their food pipe and as a result they die. Hence the plastic bags are not only dangerous for the human being but for the marine life as well.

Another problem caused by plastic bags is that they cannot be recycled specially the black ones. Even all the other coloured plastic bags, if recycled can only be used to make black shoppers, which are harmful, more than any other. If the food is put in the black shopper it immediately starts reacting with food and makes it dangerous to health. So it is strongly recommended not to put any edible (things to be eaten) in plastic shoppers.

It is a common observation that when wind blows we come to see a lot of plastic bags flying in the air. They create a lot of disturbance. They create a very ugly picture and our surroundings look dirty due to dispersed shoppers. They sometimes, fly very high and cause disturbance to aeroplanes. It is only they are cheaper and easily available but, they have so many drawbacks.

There are many disadvantages of plastic bags some of them are shortly discussed;

·        Plastic bags are indigestible.

·        They do not decompose.

·        They cannot be destroyed.

·        On burning they produce very dangerous gases.

·        They contain certain chemicals, which poisons the food present in them.

·        They are less useful and more harmful.

·        Different bags of different colours contain different chemicals, which cause food poisoning.

·        They are very cheap but cause expensive diseases.

·        If accidentally they are swallowed, they cannot be digested and cause stomach disorder and are excreted out without any change.

It is very logical that a man should not use a thing, which causes more harm than uses. We should discourage the trend of using plastic bags. Paper bags are a good substitute for them even cloth bags are very durable as we can use them again and again and keep them clean. In the end, I will stress that we should discourage the use of plastic bags and save our environment.