Plastic Pollution: Causes, Impacts and Prevention

The report gives an insight into the aspect of plastic pollution. Plastic pollution refers to the accumulation of the plastic products in environment that has an adverse effect on the wildlife habitat, wildlife and humans. The report begins with the concept of plastic pollution and the means of its occurrence. There is also discussion on the causes of the plastic pollution and its impact on the environment. There report also puts forward how the national and the local government can deal the problem of plastic pollution.

Running head: PLASTIC POLLUTION
Plastic Pollution
Name of the Student:
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Author Note:

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Introduction:
The report gives an insight into the aspect of plastic pollution. Plastic pollution refers to
the accumulation of the plastic products in environment that has an adverse effect on the wildlife
habitat, wildlife and humans. Plastic consist of a chemical structure that makes them resistant to
the process of natural degradation. Plastic acting as a pollutant is categorized into macro, meso
and micro based on the size (Webb et al. 2012). The resistance of plastic to degradation leads to
higher rate of plastic pollution in environment. The pollution due to plastic not only afflicts land
but also the oceans and waterways. Living organisms especially the marine animals harmed due
to ingestion of the plastic waste or due to the chemicals exposure of plastics. The estimation of
worldwide production of plastic has been close to 6.3 billion tones out of which only nine
percent is recycled and twelve percent destroyed (Vegter et al. 2014) .The report begins with the
concept of plastic pollution and the means of its occurrence. There is also discussion on the
causes of the plastic pollution and its impact on the environment. There report also puts forward
how the national and the local government can deal the problem of plastic pollution.
Discussion:
What is Plastic Pollution and how does it Occur
Plastic pollution refers to accumulation of various kinds of plastic substances on the land
and the water bodies like the oceans, rivers, canals and lakes (Webb et al. 2012). Plastic
represents a synthetic polymer consisting of various organic and inorganic compounds. It is
derived from the petrochemicals known as the Olefins. The plastic material has its primary
classification as the thermoplastics, also known as polyvinyl and polystyrene chloride and
thermosetting polymers, known as polyisoprene. In addition to this, plastic also has classification
based on engineering, biodegradable and elastomer plastics. Plastic is used as a commodity on a

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large scale and finds application in various ways. Although plastic represents a vital part of the
global polymer industry but their disposal and production posses a greater threat to various forms
of life on the earth. The degradation plastic usually takes a longer time that ranges between the
five hundred to thousand years (Derraik 2002). In other words, the exact time of degradation of
plastic is actually unknown. The manufacture of plastic emits various hazardous chemicals that
often lead to various kinds of deadly diseases in human beings and animals. Plastic contains
chemical toxins like ethylene oxide, xylene, benzene, bisphenol, flame-retardants, plasticizers
and antimicrobials that have an adverse effect on environment through the transfer of pollutant
(Eriksen et al. 2014). The chemical composition of plastic prevents its easy disposal and thereby
can result in causing permanent damage to the living beings. Plastic also contains various
additives like phthalates, adipates and alkylphenols. However, the vinyl chloride used in the
manufacture of thePolyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes has carcinogenic characteristics.
What Causes Plastic Pollution
Plastic is overused, lesser expensive and not easily degradable so when disposed in the
landfill sites it do not get rotten at a faster rate and therefore causes land pollution in that specific
area (dana et al. 2014). Most often people tend to throw the plastic bags and the bottles after
single use that leads to the increase in the rate of pollution on the land and oceans. The plastic
made bottles and bags clogs water bodies like the rivers, canals and lakes located in urban areas.
Each year, plastic production account for100 million tons across the world of which 25 million
tons of the non-degradable plastics accumulates in environment. For instance, amongst the entire
quantity of the municipal waste close to twenty percent consist of the plastic and the related
harmful polymers in the United States. The plastic industry of US has a valuation of $50 million
(Eriksen et al. 2014).

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Ways Plastic Pollution Impacts Environment
According to Webb et al. (2012), Research has found that close to 70,000 tons of the
plastic is dumped mostly in seas and oceans across the world. It is found that the aquatic animals
like fauna and zooplankton and the terrestrial animals like seabirds eat the synthetic materials
and the discarded fishing nets thinking them to be food thereby leading to the accumulation of
the plastics within the bodies (Seltenrich, 2015). This leads to choking thereby resulting in their
ultimate death. The choking of plastic materials causes scores of turtles and fish to die each year.
Thus, the accumulation of the plastic release toxic chemicals that broke down into smaller pieces
causing discomfort and death of the animals.
How Local and National Government Can Prevent Plastic Pollution
To prevent plastic pollution the local and the national government can adopt the
following measures. These are as follows:
By Making More Biodegradable Plastic:The government can put an end to the plastic
pollution through implementation of biodegradable plastic. The biodegradable plastic is not
derived from petroleum but from the traditional petrochemicals like the gelatins, agars and the
plant starches (Reddy, Reddy and Gupta 2013). The biodegradable plastic is engineered in a
manner so that it breaks down quite easily. In other words, the biodegradable plastics are the eco
plastics that refers to the plastics derived from recycled materials instead of petrochemicals.
Raise Awareness towards Plastic Pollution: The government can raise the awareness of
plastic pollution through communication, strategic planning, documentary films, education,
scientific research, legislation, sustainability and entrepreneurial innovation (Vegter et al. 2014).
The goal lies in increasing the understanding of problem of plastic pollution for finding more

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sustainable solutions and implementation of innovation for taking action against plastic pollution
and living plastic free life. The solution lies in recycling, implementation of newer technology
and change in the individual habits and attitudes.
Undertaking Campaigns for Explaining the Threat of Plastic Pollution to
Environment:Campaigns does the work of learning and helps in reinforcing the information on a
constant basis. Since it comprises of the series of the regular events therefore it prevents in the
loss of knowledge on the track (Gill 2014). Through campaigns, the government can actually
embed the message of the environmental threat of plastic pollution in the behavior of the people.
Conclusion:
The report throws a light on plastic pollution and how land and water pollution thereby
causing a threat to the terrestrial and marine animals. It is therefore necessary in understanding
the severity and the consequences of dumping plastics in land and in water. Although the
preventive measures may be less appealing and gradual against preventing the problem but
smaller steps can hugely contribute in reducing the plastic pollution. It is high time for taking
preventive measures and ensuring better life for future generations.

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References:
dana Gopal, N.M., Phebe, P., Kumar, E.S. and Vani, B.K.K., 2014. Impact of Plastic Leading
Environmental Pollution. Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences ISSN, 974, p.2115.
Derraik, J.G., (2002). The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: a
review. Marine pollution bulletin, 44(9), pp.842-852
Eriksen, M., Lebreton, L.C., Carson, H.S., Thiel, M., Moore, C.J., Borerro, J.C., Galgani, F.,
Ryan, P.G. and Reisser, J., (2014). Plastic pollution in the world's oceans: more than 5 trillion
plastic pieces weighing over 250,000 tons afloat at sea. PloS one, 9(12), p.e111913
Gill, M.U.K.T.I., (2014). Bioplastic: A Better Alternative To Plastics. Int. J. Res. Appl. Nat. Soc.
Sci, 2, pp.115-120.
Reddy, R.L., Reddy, V.S. and Gupta, G.A., (2013). Study of bio-plastics as green and sustainable
alternative to plastics. International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced
Engineering, 3(5), pp.76-81
Seltenrich, N., (2015). New link in the food chain? Marine plastic pollution and seafood
safety. Environmental health perspectives, 123(2), p.A34
Vegter, A.C., Barletta, M., Beck, C., Borrero, J., Burton, H., Campbell, M.L., Costa, M.F.,
Eriksen, M., Eriksson, C., Estrades, A. and Gilardi, K.V., 2014. Global research priorities to
mitigate plastic pollution impacts on marine wildlife. Endangered Species Research, 25(3),
pp.225-247.

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Webb, H.K., Arnott, J., Crawford, R.J. and Ivanova, E.P., (2012). Plastic degradation and its
environmental implications with special reference to poly (ethylene
terephthalate). Polymers, 5(1), pp.1-18