After the Industrial Revolution, with the development of technology, humans invented a lot of new products, most of them are convenient for our daily lives significantly, such as cars, planes and smartphones. However, some of them are producing greenhouse gases or retaining harmful residue on the earth, plastic is one of them. Although plastic packaging is a lightweight and low-cost container which we are using every day, it brings a lot of drawbacks for us.
The most harmful characteristic of plastic is it hard or nearly cannot dissolve by earth. Plastic products can last for centuries, and if we burn them, they will emit poison gases. According to the investigation, researchers found plastic products in South Polar which were made in the last century. This means although there are no human activities, our pollution has already spread to the no-human areas. Also, in the ocean, many ocean creatures, especially sea turtles and whales can be easily trapped by plastic nets, and they may eat plastic by accident. This tragedy may cause them to die, and it is harmful and polluting to our mother planet. Thus, many people are advocating to abandon the use of plastic containers.
Actually, many countries or governments are delicate to reduce the use of plastic products, and there are several ways to achieve this goal. First, to reduce the use of plastic bags. For example, in China, supermarkets did not provide free plastic bags since 2010. And in Canada, they only provide reusable bags with costs. This regulation can increase the cost of using plastic bags, thus, people will bring their own bags to reduce the consumption of plastic. Second, to replace plastic utensils with paper, wood or any dissolvable materials which already apply to many countries. And the last, but most important thing is to educate people to avoid using plastic products. As long as people realize the negative effects of plastic, they will prevent to use it.
As summary, although plastic brings us convenience, its side effects cannot be ignored. We only have one earth; therefore, we have to protect it carefully. Governments should take action to awaken people to reduce the consumption of plastic products by implementing regulations, and laws and substituting plastic for more green materials. After these, we can create a better world.