One pressing environmental problem that affects wildlife and human health is plastic pollution. Plastic pollution is primarily attributed to high plastic consumption. To alleviate the negative impacts of plastic, strict government regulations should be enforced.
One of the main causes of plastic pollution is the excessive use of plastics by consumers and factories. Plastics are easily accessible due to massive production and relatively cheaper and longer-lasting compared to eco-friendly packaging. This is because the raw materials needed to manufacture plastics are fossil fuels and natural gases, which are widely available on a large scale. Therefore, widespread use of plastic can be found easily in everyday life, starting from street vendors who rely heavily on single-use plastic cups, straws, and bags because they are convenient, lightweight, and disposable. Moreover, factories in various fields use plastics to package their items. For instance, skincare factories offer sample-size shampoos, creams and serums in mini plastic sachets and mini bottles, which are often used once or twice and then discarded. Another example includes snack foods often packed in multiple-layered plastic bags filled with air and beverages sold in plastic bottles. Because plastic items are non-biodegradable, they are often incinerated, adding greenhouse gases to the air and causing serious respiratory problems in humans. Alternatively, they end up in landfills and oceans and are usually mistaken for food by marine animals.
To combat the overuse of plastics, governments should impose strict regulations on factories by introducing plastic credits. A certain limit on how much plastic one factory can generate should be set, and plastic credits should be given to those who fund waste-management systems and promote the use of green items. For example, Verra’s waste reduction standard allows large corporations to purchase credits and has been found to reduce significant plastic use. Moreover, consumers must be educated on reducing, reusing, and recycling plastics. Reducing could be practised initially in supermarkets by rewarding customers who bring eco-friendly tote bags and paper bags to carry their purchased items. To reuse and recycling, people must be taught to separately discard plastic items into recycling bins instead of streams and landfills.
In conclusion, plastic pollution is mainly caused by large businesses and consumers who lack proper knowledge about the efficient use of plastics. Therefore, governments should address and handle the issue properly by promoting plastic credits and educating people on 3Rs so that wildlife and human health are protected well.