Do you know that the plastic produced after year 2000 is much more than what was produced in whole last century? And it lies everywhere. It doesn’t degrade by itself.
Natural things have a life and get perished in due course of time. But the concept of shelf life has no meaning in case of this man-made plastic. It possibly will take more than 500 years for plastic to degrade.
Most of the plastic, after its use, is dumped in the rivers and oceans. By the time Jasprit Bumrah completes his over in a cricket match, four to five truckloads of plastic get dumped into the ocean during that span of time. Studies suggest that oceans will have more plastic in next 30 years than the fish by weight.
This plastic waste problem is not limited to our country alone, though we contribute 60% of plastic dumped in the oceans. The problem is world over and it has reached a critical point now. The time has come to comprehend the situation and act.
Where should we start from? The water bottles, straws, glasses, spoons, bags made of plastic should be the items to start with. These disposable plastic items constitute the single use plastic, which actually account for 50% of total plastic.
Let us stop using plastic water bottles — whether one is on a picnic or is in a party or is attending a seminar. And let us refuse to use plastic spoons and cups in a marriage function. In a coffee shop, let us discard those plastic stirrers and in juice corners, refuse that plastic straw. Let us adapt ourselves to life without these items which are polluting our environment. Carry your own biodegradable bag while going to a shopping mall or to a “sabzi” market. These basic steps will go a long way in curbing this plastic menace.
Let us make a start today. Let us leave a better world for the coming generations.
