Plastic is becoming a threat to our health and the environment with every passing day, despite our efforts to get rid of it. Thousands of tons of plastic is generated every year in the world, which is a threat to the environment and people. Plastic is carcinogenic, it causes cancer. It contains toxins that can cause cancer.
Do you have any idea about how much plastic waste is generated every year, which is dumped in the sewer and toilets, as medical waste, in diapers, sanitary pads, and other forms of waste into the atmosphere?
There are different plastic materials that should be non-chlorinated, which causes less harm to people. The plastic should be thick enough so that the plastic particles do not enter the stomachs of people so easily. BPA free plastic does not harm people to a great extent, so we should opt for BPA-free plastic as much as possible. I have no doubt whatsoever, the speed at which we are using plastic will accumulate 15 billion tones of plastic waste worldwide by the end of 2022. It will take hundreds of years to clear it.
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The United Nations Environment Program says that 300 million tones of plastic waste is generated every year. This is a problem that has become even worse during the pandemic. Plastic face shields, gloves, food packets, and increased online shopping have led to an increase in bubble wrap packing during the pandemic, which is yet another challenge we face today.
It is estimated that by 2024, the amount of plastic waste in the oceans will increase by three times. This threat puts more pressure on different countries to unite and find a common solution. The framework of a comprehensive agreement under the Global Plastics Agreement has been prepared and approved by the member countries of the United Nations, including the largest producers of plastics such as America, Britain, and China.
This waste is fatal for humans, animals, and our ecosystem. Plastics contain a variety of dyes and chemicals, such as bisphenol-A, organic pollutants, and other toxic substances, which can also make fish poisonous. It says that this plastic waste is not only wasting the land, there are many dangers even if it is thrown into the water.
Plastic waste has become a serious problem. We have been trying to stop the use of disposable plastic for years, but haven’t achieved the desired result so far. Governments are trying their best, but unless we come forward to stop the increasing use of plastic and polythene, it will not be possible. Because of the lack of proper disposal of plastic, the whole earth is becoming a plastic dump.
Plastics contain a variety of dyes and chemicals, such as bisphenol-A, organic pollutants, and other toxic substances, which can also make fish poisonous. Plastic cannot be burned because it releases very harmful gases, which cause a lot of damage to the environment. Plastic is contaminating the air as well as the water, which is why the ozone layer is also being affected a lot. Plastic waste is not only growing landfills but reaching oceans and rivers, causing more harm to aquatic life.
But the good news is that scientists are trying their best to convert plastic waste into various useful items, which will help get rid of plastic waste. For instance, plastic is being recycled to save the environment. Let us tell you that an Indian professor has prepared petrol using bad plastic. This act of his has stunned the people. According to the representative of the company making petrol from plastic, it is a de-polymerization process. It is a biolysis activity in which they convert dye polymers into polymers. With thermal activity, they cut small pieces of plastic into long-chain polymers. Using this technology, they make fuel from plastic with the help of a three-step process called pyrolysis.
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This process helps to make diesel, aircraft fuel, and petrol from plastics. About 500 kg of plastic produces 400 liters of fuel, which includes 240 liters of diesel, 80-100 liters of aircraft fuel, 80 liters of petrol, 20 liters of other fuels. He explains it is a very simple process, in which no water is required. In this process, polluted water is not released and it does not pollute the air either. The entire process is done in a vacuum and they do not use any type of chimney, so no poisonous gases are released into the atmosphere.