Question

Avoid plastics as far as possible.’ Comment on this advice.

Answer 1

Think of the impact plastic has on our environment, wild-life, human-beings, etc. and try to answer this question. Recollect the harmful effects of plastic. Think about what happens to the used and spoiled non-reusable plastic, like plastic wraps, and how that waste is dealt with.

Complete step by step solution:
-Plastic is a nonbiodegradable polymer. Plastic includes a variety of polymers including polyethene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), etc.
-A nonbiodegradable substance is a material which does not get decayed or decomposed on action of natural factors and has resistance on breakdown. Such substances remain in the environment for a long time like decades and therefore, may be harmful.
-Since plastics do not decompose, they keep accumulating in the environment which leads to pollution. Waste segregation methods can be employed to get control over pollution by plastic.
-If effective segregation of waste is done, then some plastic which is greater than 50microns can be recycled. But most of it, like thin poly bags, plastic straws, plastic wraps, can’t be recycled and gets dumped.
-This leads to accumulation of plastic on land and ultimately, it lands up in the sea during monsoon season. Then aquatic life gets badly affected by it. Nowadays, we get to know that many tons of plastics were found inside the stomach of a dead whale. Whale being an endangered species, it is posing a hazard to living beings.
-If it’s not dumped then it is set on fire that is, incinerated which leads to release of harmful gases in the environment leading to bad air quality index and causing more harmful effects like asthma, and other respiratory problems.
-So, it is said, it is better to avoid plastic as far as possible. Use plastic free products instead of polyethene bags and PET bottles, use cloth or paper bags and metal bottles which are more durable as well. This will minimize the harmful effect of plastic.
-Although plastic is a boon to mankind in a number of ways, it’s also a bane for mother earth. It’s hence advisable that refrain from using plastic as much as possible.

Note: Plastic can be recycled only to some extent. Keep in mind the environmental impact plastic causes while answering the question. This is an open-ended type of question so you can write about all the effects in detail and also, add more recent information.