Pollution Due To Plastic Bags

The term “plastics” includes materials composed of various elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, and sulfur. Plastics typically have high molecular weight, meaning each molecule can have thousands of atoms bound together. In other words plastics are macromolecules, formed by polymerization and having the ability to be shaped by the application of reasonable amount of heat and pressure or any other form of forces. This great human creation changed the world. Now plastics are in all human activity ranging from clothing to shelter, infrastructure to communication, agriculture to construction, hardware to packaging and entertainment to health care. Its attractive properties, lightweight and high strength meets a large share of the materials needs of man and that too at a comparatively lesser cost. Increasing urbanization and industrialization have contributed for increased plastic generation. This increase has been rapid since the middle of the 19th century which has affected the quality of environment. Plastic has replaced the traditional material (paper/cloth etc) as packing and carry bags because of cost and convenience which is possibly a wrong choice of material for such use. Even though plastic bags can preserve food and can be used for growing vegetables in a controlled environment, their method of disposal has creates unprecedented pollution problem. Plastic has many more uses other than Plastic Bags and Packing material. It is used for manufacturing of protective covers and parts for many machines, which should be the preferred utility for plastic. There is an increasing trend of paper, plastics, metals, glass and calorific value in solid waste over the years. This change is due to change in lifestyle of people and increase in computerization. Plastic waste in municipal urban waste is comparable with the developed countries. Polyethylene or plastics are under frequent scrutiny of many environmentally conscious nations around the world. From developing India to some of the most industrialized countries like UK and Denmark, efforts at reducing use of plastics and plastic wastes are enormous and varied. Plastic bags are used by both retailers and consumers for its convenience and affordability and most utility comes from packaging retailed goods. While the use of plastics is rampant and increasing, traditional packaging materials are on the decline and its use is sporadic. There is a serious concern among consumers and environmentalists about the environmental impacts of plastic bags, but for lack of a more convenient and cheaper alternative, plastics have persisted even within a restricted use policy and ban situation The rapid rate of urbanization and development has led to increasing plastic waste generation. The quantum of plastic waste in Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is increasing due to increase in population, development activities and changes in the life style. Recently, plastic waste has attracted widespread attention in India, particularly in the last five years, due to widespread littering on the landscape. As plastic is non biodegradable in nature, it remains in environment for several years and disposing plastic wastes at landfill are unsafe since toxic chemicals leach out into the soil, and under-ground water and pollute the water bodies. Due to littering habits, inadequate waste management system / infrastructure, plastic waste disposal continue to be a major problem for the civic authorities, especially in the urban areas. It has been observed that due to an inefficient waste collection and transit system, a large amount of plastic wastes are not disposed off completely or fails to reach the recycling/reuse chains. The urban population has grown at a rate of 19.9%to 34.41% during the last two decades. The growth of urban and rural population is 2.1 % and 1.5% respectively during 1991-2001. One among the reasons for urban population growth is migration of rural population to cities. Rapid population growth, urbanization and industrial growth have led to severe problem of waste generation in urban centers. Although there is a lack of comprehensive study on plastic bags in particular, waste management in general or mismanagement thereof, is an area of concern to the communities and policy makers alike. It can be identified that public ignorance, lack of civic sense and individual responsibility, uncoordinated sectoral approach to waste management, absence of institutional mechanisms and incentive structures as major factors responsible for the failure on the part of the government as well as the general public to cope with the problem. The issue with plastic lies with its composition and characteristics. As a non biodegradable material, it pollutes air, water and soil causing both visual and ecological damage. Reports from the region indicate its adverse impacts on aquatic and terrestrial life. Loss of wildlife by suffocation and ingestion are common incidences elsewhere. Clogging of drains and waterways by plastics and other waste materials is a regular phenomenon, especially observed during rainy seasons, causing storm floods. Littering is an eyesore in open spaces and water bodies decreasing its aesthetic values The hazards plastics pose are numerous. The land gets littered by plastic bag garbage presenting an ugly and unhygienic seen. The "Throw away culture" results in these bags finding their way in to the city drainage system, the resulting blockage cases inconvenience, difficult in maintaining the drainage with increased cost, creates unhygienic environment resulting in health hazard and spreading of water borne diseases. This littering also reduces rate of rain water percolating, resulting in lowering of already low water levels in our cities. The soil fertility deteriorates as the plastic bags form part of manure remains in the soil for years