WHY PLASTIC BAGS SHOULD BE BANNED

WHY PLASTIC BAGS SHOULD BE BANNED

Why Plastic bags should be banned? Why? Plastic bags are readily available in the market and are used widely. These are especially popular at the grocery stores since they come handy in carrying the grocery items. Available in various sizes these are quite economical and also easy to carry. However, the cost we are paying for using these bags is overlooked. These bags are costing us our beautiful environment. Yes! The plastic bags that we use in our everyday life are hazard to our the environment.

The problem is much serious than it appears. Researchers claim that plastic bags are a major cause of water pollution. These are also responsible for making our agricultural lands infertile and a cause of a number of other serious problems. Many countries have banned the use of plastic bags in order to ensure a cleaner and greener environment. India is also among one of these countries.

The toxic chemicals produced while giving plastic bags their desirable form have a negative impact on the health of those involved in their making. Plastic bags are widely used for food packaging. Researchers claim that some toxic elements from the plastic enter the food items packed in them. Plastic bags thus contaminate the food rather than keeping it safely packed. Many cases of plastic causing harm to the food have been reported. Eating such food can cause food poisoning, intestinal problems and other health hazards. Plastic bags can even lead to suspected human carcinogen.

Apart from this, plastic bags produce immense amount of non-biodegradable waste. This waste remains on earth for almost 500 years. This waste material enters water bodies and degrades the quality of drinking water. The quality of drinking water has gone down drastically in the last few decades. It is majorly because of the increasing amount of plastic bags being dumped in the rivers that are a source of drinking water. This has given way to various water-borne diseases.

Plastic Bags: Cause Serious Illness in Animals

Animals and marine creatures are worst effected by waste plastic bags. We throw the plastic bags thoughtlessly after use. These plastic bags form a major part of the garbage areas where the innocent animals go looking for food. Animals often eat small plastic content and even the entire plastic bags along with their food. Small plastic content accumulates in their body and causes health problems over the time. On the other hand, gulping the entire plastic bag in one go can suffocate them to death instantly.

It is the same with the marine creatures. The water bodies are polluted immensely because of plastic waste. It is deteriorating the quality of water that marine creatures drink. Fishes, turtles and other marine creatures also eat plastic content and sometimes gulp the entire plastic bag mistaking it for food and eventually fall ill.