Bhubaneswar: Cap on plastic production is the need of the hour. Plastics are pervasive in every sphere of life. The One Earth research report shows around 500 million tonnes of plastics are produced every year across the globe. As plastics don’t break down, the toxic elements spread to every nook and corner on the Earth.

Plastics can be found from deepest oceans to high mountains, in clouds and pole to pole. Even microplastics exist in every parts of the human body, from the brain to the testes and breast milk posing health risks to humans and wildlife.
In countries with poor solid waste management systems, plastic waste, especially single-use plastic bags, can be found clogging sewers and providing breeding grounds for mosquitoes and pests. This is increasing transmission of vector-borne diseases such as malaria.

Experts said unrestrained production and use of plastics have resulted in climate change, ocean acidification, altered nitrogen and phosphorus flows, loss of biosphere integrity, freshwater change, land system change, aerosol loading in atmosphere and depletion of stratospheric ozone. Plastic production is contributing significantly to climate change.

They added plastics are directly contributing to the loss of biosphere integrity. Marine organisms and microbial communities are being exposed to many hazardous ingredients and contaminants. Whales and seabirds are being entangled in or ingesting plastic.

Plastics should be considered as pollutants rather than just litter. Its toxic impacts are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic.

It is the high time that the world wakes up to the problem, and governments, industry and other stakeholders begin to act.

[Disclaimer: This story is a part of ‘Punascha Pruthibi – One Earth. Unite for It’, an awareness campaign by Sambad Digital.]