Band 6+: Plastic bags, plastic bottles and plastic packaging are bad for the environment. What damage does plastic do to the environment? What can be done by governments and individuals to solve this problem? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

It is irrefutable that plastic harms the environment to a great extent. Plastic pollutes lands and water, degrades the fertility of the soil, and harms animals disrupting the entire ecosystem. Recycling plastic and limiting its use while also introducing biodegradable alternatives to plastics are by far the most effective solutions to this problem.

The environmental damages caused by plastic are severe and often extreme. Plastic bags, bottles, packages, toys and many other materials made of plastic remain in land and water for hundreds of years as they are not biodegradable. Plastic materials, that get mixed with soil, impair the breathability of soil and hamper the water flow in it. Thus it hurts the fertility of the land. Moreover, plastic that reaches the water bodies harms aquatic animals and coral reefs. Plastic pollution plays a considerable part in animal deaths. Today, plastic particles could be found in fishes, birds and other animals, and it disrupts the entire ecosystem.

However, the authorities concerned and mass people can turn the tide and mend the damage done to the environment to a great extent. For that, they have to ensure that they both play their part efficiently. First, people have to spontaneously take part in the plastic recycling process by putting plastic waste in a separate recycle bin. The authority has to make sure that all recyclable plastics are properly recycled and reused. To limit the use of plastic bags, people need to use bags made of biodegradable materials like jute fibre. They can start carrying their own glass-made bottle instead of buying plastic water bottles. Reduction in consumption of plastic-made materials could contribute to a large extent in limiting the harms caused by plastic. Finally, the government can limit the use of plastic bags and bottles by imposing a hefty tax on such items.

In conclusion, plastic is severely detrimental to the environment and ecosystem. So for our own benefit, we all need to use as less plastic as possible while also recycling the used plastic.