The document discusses the main uses and effects of plastic. It notes that over 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide each year, most of which are not reused or recycled. Plastics are used in many applications like packaging, electrical goods, vehicles, and agriculture. However, plastics take thousands of years to decompose and release harmful chemicals. Their lightweight and durability also leads to plastic pollution in oceans and landscapes. Plastic pollution negatively impacts health through chemical exposure, and harms environments and wildlife through ingestion, entanglement, and chemical effects. The document outlines some ways to reduce plastic use such as favoring biodegradable and reusable products, increasing recycling, and avoiding single-use plastics.

2. Main uses of plastic
• The most used form of plastic is plastic bag. More than fifty
percent of plastic bags we use in daily life are not reused and
recycled. The first ever plastic bag made in the earth is still in
existence somewhere. Annually approximately 500 billion
plastic bags are used worldwide. More than one million bags
are used every minute.
• Plastics are used in agricultural field, electrical appliances,
vehicles, food and others. It takes thousand years to
decompose plastic bags completely.
•

3. plastic pollution: A major environment problem
• From food to shelter, health to technology
plastic has moulded our life. The chemical
building blocks that make plastics so versatile
(inexpensive, durable, easily mouldable and
portable) are the same components harming
our health, daily life, environment and
ecosystem.

4. Effects of plastics
HEALTH
• Chemicals migrates from plastic package to food they contain.
These chemicals have carcinogenic effects on health.
• Skin disease can results from the contact with chemicals of
plastics.
•Disease related to fertility, reproduction, sexual maturation are the
major problems of plastics.
•hormonal defect mainly sex hormones, thyroid hormones are seen
and in some cases endocrine disruption can also occur.
•growth rate declines in children and mental health also get
affected.

5. ENVIRONMENT
•Chlorinated plastics release harmful chemicals into
surrounding soil which seeps into underground water
resources.
•Biodegradable plastics when broken down releases
methane causing greenhouse effect.
•Due to lightweight and aerodynamic nature of plastics
most of the plastics either floats or carried by wind to
ocean which pollutes water.

6. ANIMALS
• Marine animals get entangled in the plastic debris causing
death. They get end up by suffocation or drowning.
• Some animals consume on plastic which kills them either
by blocking their stomachs and starving them, or through
puncturing their intestinal system.
• Some chemicals present in plastic has adverse effect on
bird as they accumulate in body tissues and have serious
lethal effects on a bird's reproductive ability, immune
system, and hormone balance.
• Developmental defects in animals can also be seen as an
effect of plastic.

8. Ways to reduce plastic use
• Biodegradable plastic can be the alternative.
• Reusable bags must be promoted. We must carry our own
bag for shopping and other use.
• Plastic products can be recycled.
• Eco-friendly bags like Paper bags, jute bags, cotton bags can
be the best alternatives.
• Plastic medicinal equipments must not be land filled. Instead
they can be combusted to reduce disease transmission

9. • We can lessen using CD’s by downloading required items.
• The price of plastics can be increased so that people give less
preference to use it.
• We never reuse the items like coffee mug, straw, water bottles,
plates but they can be reused which helps in controlling pollution.
• Stopping the use of bottled water as it is no safer than tap water
due to chemicals contained in it.
• Plastic utensils can be replaced by metal utensils.
• Plastic dustbins can be replaced by bamboo or paper dustbins.

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