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Nature reflects our nature
Plastic Ban: Toxic Fumes Reduction
Burning plastic smells awful, which is no surprise when you know that plastic is basically made of oil
and gives off toxic fumes when it burns.
Incineration of plastic waste in open fields is a major source of air pollution. About 12 percent of most
municipal solid waste is made up of plastic of one kind or another, and 40 percent of the world’s
garbage is burned, according to the study “Toxic Pollutants from Plastic Waste – A Review.” The
plastic bag bans recently announced by Tanzania and Zambia, which follow effective bans in Kenya
and Rwanda, are good news in terms of air pollution, given that much of Africa’s waste ends up in
flames.
The burning of plastics releases toxic gases like dioxins, furans, mercury and polychlorinated bi-
phenyls (better known as BCPs) into the atmosphere, and poses a threat to vegetation, and human
and animal health. Dioxins settle on crops and in our waterways where they eventually enter our
food and hence our bodies. These dioxins are potentially lethal persistent organic pollutants that can
cause cancer and disrupt thyroid and respiratory systems. Phthalates, the very chemicals that give
plastic their desirable qualities—flexibility and softness—are endocrine disruptors, associated with
a plethora of health problems, from fertility issues and neonatal impacts on babies to allergies and
asthma.
Burning of plastic waste increase the risk of heart disease, aggravates respiratory ailments such
as asthma and emphysema and cause rashes, nausea or headaches, and damages the nervous
system. Burning plastic also releases black carbon (soot), which contributes to climate change and
air pollution.
It really doesn't make sense to manufacture products whose value is measured in minutes and
which persist for an eternity without degrading. We are killing the planet with our greed to make a
profit without care. Burning plastic contributes a lot to air pollution and people living near dumpsites
and those working there are at great risk of developing respiratory diseases and cancer.
In March 2019, the United Nations Environment Assembly passed a resolution entitled Addressing
single-use plastic products pollution. The resolution encourages governments and the private sector
to “promote the more resource-efficient design, production, use and sound management of plastics
across their life cycle”. Around the world, efforts are being made to reduce the amount of plastic
waste that ends up in landfills or in our oceans. For instance, in March 2019, the European Union
approved a law to ban many single-use plastic items, such as plastic cutlery, single-use plastic
plates, plastic straws, and plastic balloon sticks, from 2021.
Everybody should support for waste minimization and be ready to take comprehensive action, in
regard to single-use plastic products, to address the waste through, where appropriate, legislation,
implementation of international agreements, and improvement of waste management practices”.
“The quality of the air we breathe depends on the lifestyle choices we make every day”
Hirendra Bista
B.Sc Environmental Science
2nd Year (Batch -2017)
Nature and Social Concern Society
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