World Environment Day

World Environment Day on June 5th, Ministry Of Environment And United Nations Sign "Letter Of Intent"

India was declared as the global host for the 44th World Environment Day celebrations by the United Nations and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. The ‘Letter of Intent’ was signed at the presence of Union Minister for Environment Dr Harsh Vardhan and Erik Solheim, Environment Head, United Nations. Reducing plastic pollution has been chosen as 2018’s theme for World Environment Day.

India is one of the world’s biggest plastic waste generators, accounting for producing nearly 56 lakh tonnes of plastic annually. Nearly 6,000 tonnes of plastic waste remains uncollected across the country daily, adding to the environmental problems.

How much plastic is in the sea?

It is found all over the planet, with 300 billion pieces in the once-pristine Arctic and a remote island in the Pacific, the uninhabited Henderson Island, one of the Pitcairns, believed to have the highest concentration of plastic pollution in the world.With more than eight million tonnes going into the oceans every year, it is estimated there will be more plastic than fish by 2050 and 99 per cent of all the seabirds on the planet will have consumed some. It is thought the sea now contains some 51 trillion microplastic particles – 500 times more than stars in our galaxy.

Harmful effects of PLASTIC

1. LITTERS THE LANDSCAPE - Once they are used, most bags go into landfills. Each year, more and more bags are ending up littering the environment. Once they become litter, plastic bags find their way into our waterways, parks, beaches, and streets. And, if they are burned, they infuse the air with toxic fumes.

2.KILLS ANIMALS - 

About 100,000 animals, such as dolphins, turtles, whales, penguins are killed every year due to these bags. Many animals ingest plastic bags, mistaking them for food, and therefore, die. And worse, the ingested plastic bag remains intact even after the death and decomposition of the animal. Thus, it lies around in the landscape where another victim may ingest it.

3.NON BIODEGRADABLE - One of the worst environmental effects is they are non-biodegradable. The decomposition takes about 400 years. No one will live so long to witness the decomposition of plastic! Thus, save the environment for the future generations as well as animals.

Preventive and Control Measures

Our actions introduce plastics into the ecosystem and cause pollution. That means that we can also be proactive and enforce preventive and control measures so that we do not have to deal with the bad effects. Here are some of the preventive and control measures that can help reduce this menace:

1. Find Alternatives to Plastics: We can reduce plastic pollution by using alternatives to plastics. People can actually stop using plastic bags and disposable utensils. Instead of going to the retail store and having your purchases packaged in plastic bags, you can choose to carry your own bag that is large enough and reusable. The business community can also play a vital role by using other alternatives to plastics when packaging goods. Using bags made of paper is a smart way to reduce plastic pollution. When we stop using plastics and find alternatives, we reduce the risk of pollution and make the environment cleaner. It’s all about everyone being proactive enough to do what needs to be done to conserve the environment.

2. Making use of Reusable Water Bottles: Using disposable water bottles is a major cause of plastic pollution. They are thrown away after use and that just adds dirt in the ecosystem because more bottles will have to be manufactured. An ideal thing to do would be to make use of reusable water bottles. When the water in the container has been used up, it is taken to the respective company for a refill. In this way, less number of plastics are manufactured and the environment is conserved. There shouldn’t be much debate around this because using these types of bottles also saves you a lot of money as opposed to buying new ones from the store. With one move, you conserve the environment and reduce your monthly expenses. That is a really smart way to live.

3. Proper Waste Disposal: We looked at one of the main causes of plastic pollution as lack of proper waste disposal methods. People just throwing around plastic materials without much thought about the consequences of their actions. To stop this from happening, we can adopt proper waste disposal methods. Individuals should strive to dispose of plastic materials only in designated areas like dustbins. This prevents several problems like drainage blockage and air pollution. Cultivating a culture of being responsible goes a long way in reducing the effects of pollution.

4. Recycling: Garbage processing is actually one of the best ways to ensure that unnecessary waste materials are not loaded into the environment. Instead of throwing away plastic bottles, we can collect them and give them to companies that engage in the recycling of plastics. At home, people can have separate bins for collecting wastes. One of those can be dedicated to the collection of waste products for recycling. Companies can also offer incentives by paying for these types of garbage so that people are motivated to give them out for recycling.

5. Government Policies: Every business person’s major concern is to make profits. What happens is that companies manufacture very thin plastic bags that tear easily because they are low cost and are bought in bulk. This is the type of business that gives them high profits. The government can play its role by banning the manufacture of such plastic bags and putting in place policies that promote a clean environment. Thick bags that do not tear easily are expensive and that will encourage people to reuse them. Companies can be compelled to adhere to certain standards failure to which there would be penalties. This would also lead to retail stores opting for alternative packaging methods like papers. Policies to encourage the recycling of wastes and cleaning of the environment can also be helpful.

6. Community Education: Knowledge is power. A person is more likely to conserve the environment when he or she is made aware of the dangers of not doing so. Educating people about the effects of plastic pollution and ways in which it can be prevented or controlled is a step in the right direction because it raises awareness. This can be done by community-based organizations or government agencies tasked with environmental conservation. Another way in which this can be achieved is by running ads in the media or campaigns that aim at sensitizing people about the benefits of conserving the environment. At the family level, parents and their children can educate one another about plastic pollution. They can then do what is necessary to prevent or control it.