Plastic bags, plastic bottles and plastic packaging are bad for the environment. What damage does plastic do to the environment and living beings? What can be done by governments and individuals to solve this problem?

Plastic bags, plastic bottles and plastic packaging are bad for the environment. What damage does plastic do to the environment and living beings? What can be done by governments and individuals to solve this problem? 

The modern era has witnessed an alarming rise in using plastic materials which are negatively impacting the ecosystem. Damage at a monumental level has been recorded owing to the usage of such materials. The authorities and people can reverse this trouble by following the process of recycling and reusability. 

To start with, this planet has become a huge landfill due to massive plastic pollution. Moreover, I believe that now we are living on a plastic planet. Very little of the plastic we discard every day is recycled in waste-to-energy facilities. Much of it ends up in landfills, where it may take 1,000 years to decompose, leaching potentially toxic substances into the soil and water. Therefore, the soil and water on the planet have been widely polluted. Thus, people are suffering from deadly diseases like cancer and genetic issues. 

Furthermore, chemical effects are especially problematic at the decomposition stage. Additives such as phthalates and Bisphenol A (widely known as BPA) leach out of plastic particles. These additives are known for their hormonal effects and can disrupt the hormone system of vertebrates and invertebrates alike. In addition, nano-sized particles may cause inflammation, traverse cellular barriers, and even cross highly selective membranes such as the blood-brain barrier or the placenta. As a result, people are facing a number of physical problems. 

To get around this menace, the government must ban single-use plastic since it is the only form of plastic that cannot be recycled easily. Therefore, the planet can become a good place when this plastic-type will be prohibited. Besides this, the chair ought to make people aware of recycling and reusability since it is the best way to get rid of this issue. For instance, in Amritsar, the administration has installed recycling machines that people use to recycle plastic. Hence, this concept must be followed everywhere. Additionally, people should use steel and glass bottles instead of plastic ones and use jute bags rather than plastic bags. 

To conclude, the use of plastic has become havoc for society and the ecosystem that can only be curbed by the imposition of stringent laws.