Plastic is one of the major environmental issues facing the world today. Plastic waste harms both water and land. Even the air we breathe contains tiny particles of plastic. Plastic is a long-lasting substance. Plastic can be recycled but many types cannot be recycled. For example, water bottles are a commodity that is becoming a burden on the environment.
Every year, 8 million tons of plastic go into the sea and affect aquatic life. It is estimated that plastic pollution will increase by 3% in the coming decade. The time is not far when more plastic will be found in the sea than fish. Many aquatic animals try to eat them as food and get into trouble. Statistics show that between 1970 and 2012, plastic killed half the number of vertebrates in the ocean. It is not the fault of fish to eat microplastic but they are so small that they automatically go into their stomachs when they breathe.
Many species are likely to become extinct due to plastics. Aquatic animals that hunt have plastic in their bodies that endanger their lives. The amount of plastic in the oceans has increased so much that there are at least 5 plastic islands in the world. The largest ocean plastic reserves are found in the Pacific Ocean, which is the largest ocean in the world. You may be surprised to learn that microplastics reach humans who eat seafood during the food chain. It also affects human health. Not only the sea but also the dry land is full of plastic and the landfill area is increasing day by day. There is no other way to solve this problem except to use it. Even if burned, it can cause air pollution and damage ozone, and cause climate change. Doing so releases microplastics into the air and can cause damage to our health by incorporating microplastics into our bodies just like fish when we breathe and can affect other parts of the body.
It seems impossible to reduce the plastic pollution around us, even if it will take a long time. There is still time for us to change our habits to avoid these problems. One action is that we need to increase recycling. We need to minimize our dependence on plastics as the problem of plastics has spread to all corners of the globe. We need to take some action or else the aquatic animals will continue to die.
Shakir Saleh
Quetta
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