A Killer to the Environment??”Disposable Plastic Essay Example
A Killer to the Environment??”Disposable Plastic Essay Example

A Killer to the Environment??”Disposable Plastic Essay Example

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  • Pages: 4 (988 words)
  • Published: March 16, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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In Minnesota, people can get several plastic bags when they go shopping in many shops, like Walmart, Target, or some other kinds of shops. When people go to the drive-in the buy some drinks, they will get the plastic cup. Disposable plastic bowls, plates, forks and spoons are sailed in many supermarkets. Living in Minnesota, plastic products are easy to get and use in many situations. Many people think that plastic products are very helpful and convenient. They save people’s time and are easy to take away.

Plastic products, especially disposable plastic products, give great convenience to people live in the modern society. However, in consideration of the long-term development of environment and other aspects, the use of disposable plastic products should be reduced and controlled by some laws or rules. Why do I strongly recommend this? I have four reasons. The first

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reason is that the manufacturing of plastics consumes a nonrenewable resource in the earth—petroleum. “Plastics are petroleum-based synthetic materials whose main constituents are carbon and hydrogen” (Wolf, 104).

Petroleum, which caused many wars, as known, is in very short supply and used in many different and significant aspects, like the fuel of transportations. As it is nonrenewable, it means the more we use plastic bags, the less petroleum we can use in other essential industry. The wide use of disposable plastic products is damage to the environment. The second reason is that the plastics contain some deleterious substance. Disposable plastics products are mostly used as containers, like cups or bowls. In the use of the plastics, they are always touching the food or drink directly.

The labeling results from consumer concern over scientific evidence tha

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bisphenol A (BPA), a common ingredient in many hard plastics, may be harmful to the human reproductive system because it interferes with hormones”(Patisaul). The third reason is that the littered plastics do harm to environment directly. The littered plastics in public will make damages to the image of the city. When they are littered on the farmland, it may be covered in earth and do harm to the crops. The plastics will obstruct the crops to absorb water and nutrient from earth.

Sometimes it may be eaten by animals by mistake, which may threaten animals’ lives. When they are littered in the sea, lake or river, they may damage the ecological system in these kinds of water environments. The forth reason is that the natural degradation of plastics is very complicated process and takes a very long time. The most common way to deal with abandoned plastics is landfill. Otherwise, burning is still a way to deal with it. As I mention before, when plastics are heated, they will diffuse harmful substances.

As the number of abandoned plastics is large, landfill may use a lot of useful land. Based on the experiments of the scientists, it takes at least 50 years to finish the degradation in natural environment (H. R. 5000--recyclable Materials: Plastics In the Environment). The degradation and the treatment of the plastics take a great budget of the government (John). To solve the plastic problems, there have been some solutions in many areas of the world. First, charge certain fees of plastic package when people go shopping.

Based on The Western Morning News, Demand for plastic bags at National Trust shops has dropped by 95 percent

since the introduction of a 5 pounds charge in UK. Such a dramatic drop in demand for plastic bags will help the National Trust cut its waste and reduce the amount of rubbish ending up in landfill sites (Omara). However, there is no this kind of rules or laws in Minnesota. Government officials should think of these kinds of rules to charge the plastic bags so that the use of disposable plastic bags can be controlled. Second, promote the use of reusable packages.

In many places, reusable packages, such as reusable bags are sailed near the cashiers. Many brands, such as the clothe brand that we are familiar to, Abercrombie&Fitch, begin to provide paper bags in their shops. Some schools do some promotions to recommend students to take reusable lunch box to contain take-away food. Governments post many advertisements on TVs, or other media to promote the concept to take reusable bags instead of disposable bags when people go shopping in order to protect our environment. In Minnesota, government should take some actions to promote this concept to people.

Third, develop degradable plastics. In many areas, scientists have made great effort to develop a readily degradable plastic. A readily degradable plastic, after its useful life has ended, simply “self-destructs,” like the tapes in television’s and films’ Mission Impossible stories. After the time required for useful service, during which it retains all the properties that it was formulated and processed to have, it simply falls apart and is assimilated by the pervasive microorganisms found throughout nature (Stevens, 53).

It is very worthwhile to put budget to this kind of environment friendly investment. The three solutions I mentioned above are

useful effective methods for treating the plastic problems in environment. I, as a part of this human society, should make my own effort to help the plastic revolutions. I always take a reusable bag when I go to buy foodstuff in the open market or supermarket. I use reusable bag to contain foodstuff is a good habit that not only make a contribution to environment, but also better for our health.

When I buy take-away, I use my own reusable lunch box based on the same consideration. In Minnesota, if the government pays attention to the plastic problems and every people do a bit, the plastic problem can gain great reformation. Disposable plastic, a killer to the environment, which has more disadvantages than advantages based on long-term consideration, actually can be taken place in many aspects. If there is everyone’s participation, plastic problem can no longer be a world wide problem anymore.

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