In this modern era, almost everyone is fascinated by shopping; however, we have forgotten to take care of our natural resources. Moreover, the application of shopping bags manufactured from plastic causes harm to landforms and water bodies. However, society perceives that the use of these non-biodegradable products should be prohibited. In my perspective, I strongly agree with them, as plastic is an artificial product and causes degradation of soil. Moreover, it is harmful to stray animals in urban areas.
Utilization of these malleable resources is significantly harmful to topsoil. Plastic, being non-biodegradable in nature, causes soil erosion. In addition, when these bags are disposed of in the loam, they do not degrade and cause the top layer of soil to erode. Hence, the flora of that surrounding area does not get enough nutrients, as their roots are unable to hold the soil firmly, which leads to deterioration of that particular terrestrial ecosystem. In addition, it also affects the growth of cereal and legume crops. As these crops require certain nutrients from soil, but disposing of these ductile bags in the soil prohibits those nutrients from reaching the root hairs of the plant and, therefore, results in crop failure.
Urban areas are a hub for many MNCs and shopping malls. Moreover, these firms pack their products in plastic bags; they are manufactured at a cheap cost and with great ease. However, these ductile bags are leading to the demise of stray animals. For instance, in India, people used to dispose of their domestic waste in these shopping bags, and stray animals used to feed on them and consume this ductile material, too. Plastic, being non-biodegradable in nature, the digestive systems of these creatures fail to digest it, and it remains in their intestines, causing severe infection and ultimately leading to their demise. Moreover, disposing of these plastic bags in sewer lines leads to clogging of the drainage system of a particular area, as it does not allow the water to pass through.
To encapsulate, the usage of plastic shopping bags should be prohibited by MNCs and production firms, as they not only affect our natural resources but also harm the flora and fauna of a particular area, which thereby leads to environmental instability.