How Plastic Bags Harm Nature

The main problem with plastic is what they are popular for. They are resolutely durable to be used by humans for so many purposes and this durability makes them harmful for the environment. Read on how the nature is threatened for the increasing use of plastic bags and how to live a life without it.

How plastic has taken over our daily life needs no introduction. But then there are surely many reasons backing them up. Leaving the minus points if you consider plastic, you are left with so many wonderful benefits they come with – cheap, durable, lightweight, and functional besides other attributes. And it is not that only profit making entities are encouraging the use of plastic among consumers, the latter themselves are also reluctant to gain its advantages.

Looking at the minus points, the worse impact it leaves outweighs its goodness.

Billions of plastic bags alone are used all around the world in a year much of which end in wastes, to be shipped in developing countries or left with nature only to cause eco harm. While the economical impact plastic leaves needs a separate coverage, this article talks some of the reasons why and how plastic harms our environment.

Once used and wasted, they join the unending process to litter our environment. Those thrown out wrongly without any management blocks water passage, releases toxicity, creates unhealthy habitat for wildlife. They would join water bodies only to spread the harm which is felt after some time.

They kill animals. While in sea; turtles, whales, penguins besides others would ingest plastic mistaking it for potential food source. This lead them to premature decline while the plastic still remains in them and stays intact even after decomposition only to be ingested by another victim.

The worst thing is plastic is non biodegradable meaning the decomposition is not easy. Plastic bags would take about 400 years to fully decompose which is a long process and no one would live to see that.

There are many more equally threading elements plastic bags are known for. A life without plastic bag is not impossible. Here are the alternatives

• Use safer alternatives like buy foods in glass and metal containers.
• Use biodegradable bags preferably those made from fabrics.
• Donate old newspapers and paper products to industries that would use them for making paper bags.
• Encourage everyone around you to use alternative bags rather than counting on plastic.
• Insist on buying plastic bags with thicker variety if you have little choices to opt for any substitute.

Much of the success in checking the regular use of plastic bags also depends on government initiative. Strict rules and measures should be helpful to prevent rapid use of these bags. However, everything at the end is based on the readiness of consumers. The less we will buy plastic bags, the more we will be able to reduce the harm caused to the environment