Plastic Bags: An Environmental Hazard

The usage of plastic bags is adding environmental problems and also
affecting the health of people. While for this we have asked our Author and also Student of Environmental Science to write on this,

Further he added;
“The trend of importing raw material to produce plastic bags has
increased in Pakistan. The litter produce because of the plastic bags
are severe, adding more toxicity to the milieu. The research has been
made on the litter; it was found that, 46,000 plastic bags are
floating in each square mile of the ocean, which is affecting the
marine and polluting the water.
According to the federal ministry survey 95% people use plastic bags,
3 % use paper bags, 1 % use cloth bags and 1 % use baskets. It means
1000 of plastic bags are thrown in the twin cities of Islamabad and
Rawalpindi. Out of thousand only 10 % go to dustbins, 30 % are thrown
away in the wide area and sometimes it is blocking the sewage system
of the cities. And 60 % blocking the drains thus affecting the
drinking water supply and causing the water borne diseases like
hepatitis, cholera and urinary tract infections.
As we all are familiar of the fact that burning plastic bags producing
toxic gases and the people who are in the vicinity of that immensely
inhale and suffer from the lung cancer, eyes irritation, skin
irritation and can be the producer of acid rain. These chemically made
bags carry carcinogenic agents which can cause cancer. But the
consumers are unaware of the biodegradable bags and they are using
plastic bags because of the unawareness within the people.
Environmentalists are supporting the law to control the usage of
plastic bags and replace them with a low density or high density
Polyethylene (PE) biodegradable bags.
Despite of all the actions and protests at the international level,
the ignorance was obvious during the earthquake in Pakistan. Up to 70%
of the relief was packed in plastics instead of biodegradable bags and
nobody raised that issue in the international market.
In the population of 180 million, an average person consumes more than
2 Kg plastic bags in a year. I come to know through my couple of friends that there are number of ministers doing the business of plastic bags and they are creating obstacles in the implementation of ban. According to the ministers banning the plastic industries would severely affect an already falling economy of the country.
According to the survey there are only two manufacturers of
biodegradable bags in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. One
is in Rawalpindi and another is in Islamabad running by an NGO.
According to the newspaper the NGO personnel refused to give any sort
of information about the production of the biodegradable bags.
I come to know through newspaper that a regular 15 micron plastic bag
costs Rs 250/Kg and 60 micron biodegradable bags does not cost more
than 270/Kg.
In almost 50 countries, the biodegradable bags have already been
replaced the plastic bags. But in Pakistan and India it seems rare, we
need to campaign for the biodegradable bags so that it will reduce the
toxicity in the atmosphere.
The supporters of biodegradable technology added ‘’the test conducted
by American’s Food and drug Association show that the additive is safe
to use with edible products. Greener bags have short span of time and
decompose easily. They affect neither the land’s fertility nor cause
pollution, on land or sea, in the light or dark, in heat or cold, in
whatever timescale is required, leaving no fragments, no methane and
no harmful residues and help to preserve the environment.
I will conclude the article with the hope from the developing
countries as well as developed countries that they will ban the use of
carcinogenic products’’.

This Article is Written by a Student of Environmental Science and Author of Envirocivil “Ikram Ul Haq“