2. WHAT IS POLLUTION?
Pollution is the introduction of contamination into the natural environment
that cause adverse change. Ex- Air pollution, water pollution , noise
pollution, thermal pollution, light pollution, visual pollution, plastic
pollution.
WHAT IS PLASTIC?
Plastics are synthetic substance produced by chemical reaction. Almost all
the plastics are made from carbon and petroleum except a few
experimental resins derived from corn and other organic substances.
3. HISTORY OF PLASTIC:-
The first man-made plastic was created by Alexander Parkes who
publicly demonstrated it in 1862, Great International Exhibition in
London.
The material called Parkesine was an organic material derived from
cellulose.
Celluloid is derived from cellulose and alcoholized camphor. John
Wesley Hyatt invented celluloid in 1868. He created celluloid in a
strip format for movie film.
By 1900, movie film was an exploding market for celluloid.
4. PLASTIC POLLUTION::
It is the accumulation of plastic objects in the earth's environment that
adversely affects wildlife, wildlife habitat and humans.
Plastics that act as pollutants are categorized into micro, meso, macro
debris based on size.
Plastics are inexpensive and durable and as a result levels of plastic
production by humans are high.
Moreover the chemical structure of most plastics renders them
resistant to many natural processes of degradation and as a result they
are slow to degrade.
Together these two factors have led to a high prominence of plastic
pollution in the environment.
Plastic pollution can affect land, water ways and oceans.
Living organisms, particularly marine animals as well as humans are
also affected by plastic pollution.
5. CHEMICALS IN PLASTIC:-
The vast majority of plastics are composed of polymers of carbon and
hydrogen alone or with oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine or sulphur in the
backbone. Common plastics types are:
1. Polypropylene (PP)- Food containers, appliances, car fenders
(bumpers)
2. Polystyrene (PS)- Packaging foam, food containers, disposable
cups, plates, CD boxes.
3. High impact polystyrene (HIPS)- Fridge liners, food packaging,
vending cups.
4. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)- Electronic equipment cases
as computer parts, drainage pipe etc.
5. Polyethylene terepthalate (PET)- Carbonated drink bottles, jars,
plastic films, microvable packaging.
6. Polyester (PES)- Fibres, textiles.
6. Chemicals in Plastic:-
Polyamides (PA) (Nylons)- Fibres, toothbrush bristles, fishing line, under the
hood car engine mouldings.
Polyvinyl chloride(PVC)- Plumbing pipes and guttering, shower curtains, window
frames.
Polyurethanes (PU)- Cushioning foams, thermal insulation foams, surface
coatings, printing rollers.
Polycarbonate (PC)- Compact discs, eyeglasses, security windows, traffic lights,
lenses.
Polyvinyldene chloride (PVDC)- Food packaging
Polyethylene(PE)- Wide range of inexpensive uses including super market bags,
plastic bottles
Polycarbonate/Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene(PC/ABS)- Car interior and
exterior parts.
10. CAUSES OF PLASTIC POLLUTION
It was Capt. Charles Moore in 1997 who first publicly reported sights of swirling masses
of plastic in the Pacific Ocean bringing media attention to this phenomenon. Till then the
world was following the policy of “out of sight, out of mind.” These large masses were
called the great plastic garbage patch or Gyres. A gyre is a large scale circular feature
made up of ocean currents that spiral around a central point. The North Pacific gyre is a
massive patch of marine litter in the Central North Pacific Ocean with a diameter of 100
miles. There are similar garbage patches present in at least every ocean.
While solving the problem of plastic pollution may seem as easy as just implementing
recycling or cleaning up empty bottles, the truth is that the plastic causing the pollution
can range in size from big to microscopic. The major contributors to this problem today
include:
1. Plain Old Trash:
Plastic is everywhere, even on those items you may not expect it to be. Milk
cartons are lined with plastic, water bottles are handed out everywhere, and
some products may even contain tiny plastic beads. Every time one of these
items gets thrown away or washed down a sink, the toxic pollutants have more
of a chance to enter the environment and do harm. Trash dumps
and landfills are unfortunate major problems, as they allow pollutants to enter
the ground and affect wildlife and groundwater for years to come.
11. 2. OVERUSED AND EXPLOIDATION:
As plastic is less expensive, it is overused. When it is disposed off in
landfill sites, it does not decompose at a fast rate, and hence pollutes
the land or soil in that area.
Most people tend to throw plastic bottles and polythene bags away,
even after a single use. This drastically increases its pollution rate on
land as well as in the oceans, mainly in the developing and
underdeveloped countries.
Plastic bags, plastic bottles, discarded electronic components, toys,
etc., clog the water bodies like canals, rivers, and lakes, especially in
the urban areas.
Every year, about 100 million tons of plastic are produced all over the
world. Out of this, 25 million tons of non-degradable plastic gets
accumulated in the environment.
3. PET PLASTIC BOTTLES:
Plastic bottles are one of the most common plastic pollutants. Packaged
drinking water carbonated soft drinks packaged drinks are distributed in
pet plastic bottles.
Once they are empty, they are thrown away into trash.
12. 4. PLASTIC FISHING NET AND EQUIPMENT:
Commercial fishing is an economic necessity for many parts of the world, and tons of
people eat fish for their daily survival. However, this industry has helped contribute to
the problem of plastics pollution in the oceans in several ways. The nets used for
certain large-scale trolling operations are usually made of plastic. First, these spend
long times submerged in water, leaking toxins at will, but they also often get broken up
or lost, left to remain wherever they fall. This not only kills and harms local wildlife, but
also ensures that pollutants enter the water and fish of the area.
5. IMPROPER DISPOSAL OF PLASTICS:
Plastics are durable materials that do not decompose easily when thrown
away or disposed off along with general waste, they start pilling up.
Burning plastic is incredibly toxic, and can lead to harmful atmospheric
conditions and deadly illness. Therefore, if it is in a landfill, it will never
stop releasing toxins in that area.
6. FAILURE TO RECYCLE OR UP-CYCLE:
As mentioned above, most of the plastics are discarded after single use
most plastics if correctly used and carefully can be refused several times .
It can also be re-purposed for different uses. Not recycling or up-cycling
plastic creates unwanted demand for new plastics.
13. Effects of Plastic Pollution
It seems rather obvious that this amount of a material that isn’t meant
to break down can wreak havoc on natural environments, leading to
long-term issues for plants, animals, and people. Some of the major
long-term effects of plastic pollution are:
1. It Upsets the Food Chain:
Because it comes in sizes large and small, polluting plastics
even affect the world’s tiniest organisms such as plankton. When
these organisms become ppoisoned due to plastic ingestion, this
causes problems for the larger animals that depend on them for
food. This can cause a whole slew of problems, each step further
along the food chain. Plus, it means that plastic are present in the
fish that many people eat everyday.
14. 2. Groundwater Pollution:
Water conservation is already a concern in places ranging from California to
parts of India, but the world’s water is in great danger because of leaking plastics
and waste. If you’ve ever seen a garbage dump, imagine what happens every time it
rains – then imagine that being in your drinking water. Groundwater and reservoirs
are susceptible to leaking environmental toxins.
Most of the litter and pollution affecting the world’s oceans also
derives from plastics. This has had terrible consequences on many marine species,
which can lead to consequences for those that eat fish and marine life for
nutrients – including people.
3. Land Pollution:
When plastic is dumped in landfills, it interacts with water and form hazardous
chemicals. When these chemicals seep underground, they degrade the water quality.
Wind carries and deposits plastic from one place to another, increasing the land
litter. It can also get stuck on poles, traffic lights, trees, fences, tower etc. and
animals that may come in the vicinity and might suffocate them to death.
4. Air Pollution:
Burning of plastic in the open air, leads to environmental pollution due to the
release of poisonous chemicals. The polluted air when inhaled by humans and
animals affect their health and can cause respiratory problems.
15. 5. It Kills Animals:
Despite countless TV ads over the years showing ducks or dolphins trapped in six-ring
plastic can holders, these items are still used and discarded en masse each day.
Whether because the mass of plastic has displaced animals or the related toxins have
poisoned them, plastic pollution does a lot of damage to the world’s ecosystems.
6. It is Poisonous:
Man artificially makes plastic by using a number of toxic chemicals. Therefore, use of
and exposure to plastics has been linked to a number of health concerns affecting
people around the world. The processes of making, storing, disposing of, and just being
around plastics can be extremely harmful to living things.
7. It is Expensive:
It costs millions of dollars each year to clean affected areas after exposure, not to
mention the loss of life to plants, animals, and people. As land becomes more valuable,
just finding a place to put garbage is becoming a problem in many parts of the world.
Plus, excess pollution has lead to decreased tourism in affected areas, significantly
impacting those economies.
20. Solutions to Plastic Pollution
The reality is that the only way this problem can be addressed is by individuals and
companies around the world agreeing to implement practices that reduce waste on
every level. The top tips for reducing plastic waste are:
1. Shop Friendly:-
Plastic bags were once a modern convenience but can be efficiently replaced by
reusable bags, many of which fold up compactly in order to be portable. Carry a
bag and always reuse plastic bags as much as possible.
2. Get Rid of Bottled Water:-
People are meant to drink lots of water each day, and plastic water bottles have
become a great way to stay hydrated throughout the day. However, most of these are
only recommended for single use, and that means that every time someone finishes a
bottle it goes into the trash. Many companies now sell reusable water bottles as a
substitute, reducing plastic waste and exposure to leaking bottles.
21. 3. Forget to-go Containers:-
Plastic food containers, lids, and utensils are all easily replaced by reusable
containers, which will cut down significantly on even a single meal’s waste.
4. Educate Businesses:-
Speak to local restaurants and businesses about options that they can
switch to for packaging, storing, and bagging items. Many companies are
starting to come up with excellent low-cost replacements, such as bamboo
utensils in place of plastic ones.
5. Get Involved:-
Speak to lawmakers and get involved with government on any level, and we’ll
see how many special interest groups have made it so that we are dependent
on plastic without needing to be. Encourage development of items, and
propose alternatives when applicable.
6. Recycle Everything:-
Try and select items that come in non-plastic recycled and recyclable
packaging, to do our best to properly handle items that can’t be reused.
Check everything before we put it in the trash, as more and more items are
able to be recycled these days.
Remember that because plastic doesn’t break down easily (if ever), recycling
plastic means that it is still plastic, just being used for a different purpose.
Therefore, we’re not actually reducing plastic amounts or exposure, even in
the recycling process.
22. With “Beat Plastic Pollution” as the theme for this day, India
went big with an announcement to wipe out all the single-
use plastics from the country by 2022.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded World
Environment Day as an outset of a global movement to
overthrow single-use plastics which will contribute to the
country’s rapid economic development.
This announcement gave an extension to the activities
carried on by millions of Indians like policymakers,
celebrities, business magnates and small entrepreneurs,
innovators, environmentalist, and activists against plastic
pollution around the country.
India says no to plastic pollution
Steps taken by Govt.
23. Pan-India Initiatives on plastic pollution
2. Extracting of plastic waste from water bodies in Kerala
1. Use of recyclables in government offices in Kerala
3. Tackling plastic use in Sikkim
4. Utilising plastic for road surfacing
5. Recycling plastic for better purposes
6. Adoption of ‘‘co-processing of waste” technique in
Gujarat to deal with plastic pollution
7. Introduction of “Beat Plastic Pollution” drive by
Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development
Society (SEEDS) in East Delhi schools
8.Fishermen of Kerala turning plastics from ocean
into roads
24. CASE STUDIES
WHEN THE MERMAIDS CRY: THE GREAT PLASTIC TIDE
For more than 50 years, global production and consumption of plastics have
continued to rise. An estimated 299 million tons of plastics were produced in
2013, representing a 4 percent increase over 2012, and confirming and
upward trend over the past years. In 2008, our global plastic consumption
worldwide has been estimated at 260 million tons, and, according to a 2012
report by Global Industry Analysts, plastic consumption is to reach 297.5
million tons by the end of 2015.
A simple walk on any beach, anywhere, and the plastic waste spectacle is
present. All over the world the statistics are ever growing, staggeringly. Tons
of plastic debris (which by definition are waste that can vary in size from
large containers, fishing nets to microscopic plastic pellets or even particles)
is discarded every year, everywhere, polluting lands, rivers, coasts, beaches,
and oceans.
Plastic now pollutes every corner of Earth
The research, published in the journal Anthropocene, shows that no part of
the planet is free of the scourge of plastic waste. Everywhere is polluted with
the remains of water containers, supermarket bags, polystyrene lumps,
compact discs, cigarette filter tips, nylons and other plastics. Some are in the
form of microscopic grains, others in lumps. The impact is often highly
damaging.
25. PLASTIC WASTE CAUSES $13 BILLION IN ANNUAL DAMAGE TO
MARINE ECOSYSTEMS, UN
Concern is growing over widespread plastic waste that is threatening marine life –
with conservative yearly estimates of $13 billion in financial damage to marine
ecosystems, according to two reports issued at the inaugural meeting of the United
Nations Environment Assembly.
INCREASING AMOUNTS OF PLASTIC LITTER IN THE ARCTIC DEEP SEA
The deep sea is becoming a collecting ground for plastic waste, according to
research led by scientists from Plymouth University and Natural History Museum.
The new study, reveals around four billion microscopic plastic fibers could be
littering each square kilometer of deep sea sediment around the world.
Marine plastic debris is a global problem, affecting wildlife, tourism and shipping.
Yet monitoring over the past decades has not seen its concentration increase at the
sea surface or along shorelines, despite experts knowing that more is being
created. However, the current study indicates this may be because micro plastics
have sunk to the ocean floor, with the number of fibers recorded in the deep seas
up to four times greater than in shallow and coastal waters.
26. Tackling the problem of plastic pollution—a short case study
of Poland in 90s
There are some ways to reduce it and it’s great to see that few of
those concepts are about to be introduced in the UK. However, we
may be facing few side problems which may (or may not) make our
fight slightly more difficult.
Poland in 90' was quite innovative in that matter. It wasn’t because
of ecological reasons, but more economical ones. Producing bottles
was expensive and at that time Poland was a country on the
beginning of its economical growth path.
Plastic Waste Crisis: What India Can Learn From Other
Countries Around The World
France- Pioneer of Plastic Ban: France is the first country
to pass a law banning all kinds of plastic - plates, cups, and utensils
to combat the problem of plastic pollution. As per the ‘Plastic Ban'
law passed in 2016, replacements made with the plastic items must
be bio-degradable which can be further composted. The law has
completely banned plastic shopping bags and aims to half city's
plastic usage by 2025.
27. Rwanda- Plastic Bag Free: Rwanda was one of the first countries to eliminate the
usage of plastic bags by putting a ban on plastic bags in 2008. The country was faced with
the problem of plastic bags chocking waterways and destroying the country's ecosystem.
To fight this problem the country passed a law banning all non-biodegradable plastic from
the country. Anyone found using or smuggling plastic bags are heavily penalized and in
some cases may face a jail term.
Sweden- The Plastic Recycler: The country has officially run out of trash and is asking
other countries for their garbage to keep its recycling plant running. Following the mantra
of ‘No Plastic Ban, Instead More Plastic Recycling', Sweden burns most of its waste in
incinerators. Sweden has tackled the plastic pollution at source by organizing several
campaigns Less than one per cent of waste from Swedish households goes to landfill
dumps. No wonder this country boasts of being one of the world's best recycling nations.
28. Ireland- Tax Leverage on Plastic: In 2002, the country passed a plastic bag tax under
which consumers would have to purchase bags. The law was tremendously successful as
within weeks of its implementation there was a reduction of 94 percent in plastic bag use.
Presently, plastic bags are illegal in Ireland.
China- Eliminator of 100 billion plastic bags: To commercially discourage citizens, the
country imposed a fee charge on plastic bags in 2008 making it illegal for stores to give out
plastic bags for free. After two years of strict implementation, the country's usage of plastic
bags has dropped by a whopping 50%. By eliminating nearly 100 billion plastic bags, China
has been successful in reducing its plastic waste generation.
29.
30. Critical impact
• Plastic has become an indispensable material in modern society. Worldwide,
one million plastic bags and one million plastic bottles are used every minute.
About 50% of our plastic use is single use (disposable) and it constitutes 10% of
the total waste generated. More than 9.1 billion tons of plastic are said to have
been “manufactured since the material was initially mass-produced in the
1950s”. In 2015, scientists said that “of the nearly 7 billion tons of plastic
waste generated, only 9% was recycled, 12% incinerated, and 79% accumulated
in landfills or the environment”.
• In India, which accounts for almost 18% of the world population in 2.4% of the
global land area, the accumulation of plastic waste is huge. An estimate in 2015
revealed that 60 cities across the country generated over 15,000 tones of
plastic waste every day. Even if plastic is a convenient alternative, it is a
difficult substance for nature to digest.
• goods sector is $75 billion.
31. Each year, 13 million tones of plastic end up in the oceans. A study
revealed that 20 rivers (mostly from Asia) carry two-thirds of plastic
waste to the ocean; the Ganga’s contribution to this is one of the
highest. Researchers exploring the Arctic have found very high levels of
micro plastics trapped in the ice. Last year, a plastic spoon was found
in the remains of a whale shark off Rameswaram. Experts explained
that whale sharks are filter feeders and like to swallow everything
floating in the sea. The economic impact of plastic pollution on marine
ecosystems through fisheries and tourism losses and beach cleaning-
up costs is estimated to be around $13 billion per year.
Plastic disposed of on land degrades slowly and its chemicals leach into
the surroundings. Drinking water samples analyzed from 14 countries,
including India, revealed that 83% have micro-plastics concentrations.
According to a United Nations Environment Programme report, the
overall annual natural capital cost of plastic use in the consumer goods.
32. CONCLUSION ::
Thus, while tackling the issue related to environmental protection and
cleanliness, we started with attack on symptoms rather than causes of
pollution (Measurement of pollution and treatment technologies). Then
subsequently we gave stress on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
and could work on better planning and better control. And today we have
started to attack the root cause of pollution-prevention of pollution. We are
talking about clean technologies. We are aiming for biodegradable and eco-
friendly products and processes. Bioplastics is only a part of the large
efforts that we are determined to make. Bioplastics is a reality and is a
practical truth. Our willingness and improvement in technologies will give it
a wider success.
33.
34. References
1. Asnani, P. U. (2006). Solid waste management. India infrastructure report, 570.
2. Budget, M. '. (n.d.). Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai Annual Budget Report
(2015), ‘At a Glance’.
3. MCGM. (2006). Sanitation Bye Laws
4. Nandy, B., Sharma, G., Garg, S., Kumari, S., George, T., Sunanda, Y., & Sinha, B. (2015).
Recovery of consumer waste in India–A mass flow analysis for paper, plastic and glass and
the contribution of households and the informal sector. Resources, Conservation and
Recycling, 101, 167-181.
5. Nixon, J. D., Dey, P. K., Ghosh, S. K., & Davies, P. A. (2013). Evaluation of options for
energy recovery from municipal solid waste in India using the hierarchical analytical
network process. Energy, 59, 215-223.
6. Vij, D. (2012). Urbanization and solid waste management in India: present practices and
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