The harmful effects of single-use plastic on the environment

Jan 22, 2023 News

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By Richard Francois

Kaieteur News – We see it every day. We use it every day. Plastics have become almost an indispensable part of human existence. And, plastic is not biodegradable. Therefore, great care must be exercised when disposing of plastic waste.

Plastics are made from fossil fuels and have been around for just over a century. The production and development of thousands of new plastic products accelerated after World War II. One can argue that since then, plastics have undeniably revolutionized the world. According to Andrady & Neal (2009), plastics are inexpensive, lightweight, strong, durable, corrosion-resistant materials, with high thermal and electrical insulation properties. The diversity of polymers and the versatility of their properties are used to make a vast array of products that bring medical and technological advances, energy savings and numerous other societal benefits.

From the manufacture of life-saving devices; plastics have made space travel possible, lightened cars and jets—saving fuel and pollution—and saved lives with helmets, incubators, and equipment for clean drinking water.

However, the conveniences plastics offer, have led to a throw-away culture, that over time reveals the material’s most ominous side.

Single use plastic is one of the great contributors to plastic pollution. Those of you who may not know what is meant by single-use plastic, Greenpeace simple defines single-use plastic or disposable plastic as: any plastic item that is used once, and then thrown in the trash. Examples of single-use plastic items that are causing damage to our communities and environment are: Plastic bread bag and tags, plastic bottles, Styrofoam takeaway containers, straws, plastic packaging materials, plastic cutlery and plastic shopping bags.

Scientific literature states that today, single use plastics account for just about 40 percent of the plastic produced every year worldwide. Many of these products, such as plastic bags, straws and food wrappers, have a lifespan of mere minutes to hours, but remain in the environment for hundreds of years.

No wonder plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues globally, as rapidly increasing production of disposable plastic products overwhelms the world’s ability to deal with them.

Much of the plastic that does not make it to the recycling plant or landfill ends up in drains, rivers and oceans. Irresponsibly discarded plastic also contaminates a wide range of natural terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats. Not only is this a danger to the animals and plants whose habitats have become aquatic garbage patches, but it also poses a threat to the climate, as plastic releases greenhouse gases as it slowly breaks down.

Science literature posits that sunlight and heat causes plastics to release methane and ethylene – and at increasing rate as the plastics breaks down into ever smaller pieces.

Another severe environmental threat is the open burning of garbage. Open burning of waste is common in Guyana and many parts of the world, and is a major source of air pollution. In a previous article I made reference to the dangers of the open burning of garbage. Burning plastics releases a cocktail of poisonous chemicals that damage the health of the planet and the people exposed to the polluted air. Black carbon is one such serious pollutants – it has a global warming potential up to 5,000 times greater than carbon dioxide. It is important that you please desist from burning plastics.

So, what can be done to reduce plastic pollution in our society? I would proffer that first there needs to be a more responsible attitude towards the use and disposal of plastic in our society. We all need to do our part and act now to reduce and stop using unnecessary single-use and problematic plastics. The simplest way to reduce plastic waste is to avoid as much as possible the use of single-use plastics, and to support businesses that are reducing plastic waste and are re-using existing plastic.

I distinctly remember one of the leading supermarket chains in Guyana had started a campaign a few years ago where customers were offered the option of purchasing biodegradable bags for their groceries. Failure to produce these biodegradable bags when shopping attracted a surcharge for the use of the single-use plastic bags for your groceries. This idea should be enforced at ALL supermarkets and shops nationwide.

There are other simple things that can be done to reduce the use of single-use plastic once the consciousness of the dangers of plastic is realised. Individually, one can say no to disposable plastic cutlery, plastic straws and other single-use plastics. Avoid plastics that cannot be recycled especially if other alternatives exist. Try to avoid products with excess or unnecessary plastic packaging.

While government, municipalities, and other local authorities have established solid waste management strategies – part of which speaks to the responsible disposal of plastic waste after utilization – there is still need for more robust education programmes to be established as a means of sensitizing the population about the dangers of plastic on the environment and its responsible disposal. Globally, there are a menu of measures for waste management strategies, several of which are scientifically based, such as recycling, incineration, bioremediation, and landfills. While neither time nor space allows for the in-depth explanation of each, these methods are established to have a clean environment and good plastic waste disposal.

But as individuals it would be good if a concerted effort can be made to utilize substitutes for at least the single-use plastics we use. I will leave you with a few ideas that you, your family and friends can try, so as to reduce and avoid single-use plastics:

How about placing a metal spoon or fork in your work bag daily to use it with lunch? You would at least forgo the plastic spoon or fork that comes with your takeaway lunch.

Investing in a reusable water bottle is one of the simplest ways that you can stay hydrated without contributing to one of the largest sources of single use plastic. It’s not just plastic water bottles that we should try to avoid.  Most disposable drinks – even if they are not made of plastic – may contain a plastic bottle cap. Plastic bottle caps are one of the most common plastic polluters. So, try to avoid disposable drinks that have plastic bottle caps, and remember to recycle the ones you do use!

Especially when shopping, instead of using a disposal plastic bag, remember to take your own reusable bag to the store or try putting your groceries in cardboard boxes.  On the chance that a plastic bag is unavoidable, take it home and use it as a bin liner to give it another life.

Avoid single-use plastic to-go containers. When storing food, it can be easy to reach for a disposable plastic lunch container, or clingfilm.  Instead of choosing to keep leftover food in disposable plastic containers, invest in some reusable food storage containers, or nifty beeswax wraps or ‘greaseproof paper’ as it commonly known here, that can keep your food fresh without the plastic!

Let us all try to educate ourselves about the dangers of plastic and try as much as possible to teach others. We need to protect the environment for ourselves and our generations to come. One sure way to do this is to reduce our dependency on single-use plastic. And if it is that you must use plastic, try to reduce, reuse and recycle your plastics as much as you possibly can.

 

 

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• 40 percent, corrosion-resistant materials, equipment, fossil fuels, life-saving devices, pressing environmental issues, World War II

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