Crusade against Plastics
Plastics, since their discovery, have invaded our lives completely. From carrying bags to utensils, from shoes to buckets and even clothes and sports goods to the high-temperature cone of a rocket, they are literally omnipresent. However, the marvel material is quite a devil as an environmentalist explained to us during a lecture.
He spoke on the need to ‘crusade against plastics’ and the feasibility of hazards associated with the three options of its disposal. First, discard or landfill, it does not biodegrade. It ends up in the ocean, breaks into little pieces, is ingested by birds and fishes, and ultimately enters our food chain. Second, not all plastic can be feasibly recycled which means accumulation of waste that won’t disintegrate. Third, burning plastic produces poisonous gases and suspended particles harmful to living beings and the large-scale use of incinerators is not practical.
He concluded -‘ We must add one more R i.e. Reject’ to the already recommended Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, in our crusade against plastic.
