However on being disposed off in landfill sites, plastic products do not decompose at a fast rate and therefore pollute the land or soil in that area.
A study carried out in 2017 and focused on global drinking water pollution with plastics showed that the contamination rate of tap water was the highest in the United States at 94% followed by Lebanon and India.
An estimated 13 million tons of plastic leak into the oceans each year.
An estimated 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastics each year.
However, in the backdrop of the scale of today’s plastic crisis, we need to look at alternative materials seriously, to reduce our dependence on plastic.
Though, there is no single, one size-fits-all solution to the current plastic crisis, Governments, businesses and individuals need to play a major role in weaning society from its dependence on a material that continues to cause havoc in the environment.
India has emerged as a global environmental leader in recent years and is the host country for the World Environment Day 2018 Celebrations.
The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India, has already set a precedence by requesting various governmental departments to avoid the use of plastic bottles to provide drinking water during governmental meetings, etc., and to instead make arrangements for providing drinking water that do not generate plastic waste.
Similarly, the States of Sikkim and Bihar have also restricted the usage of plastic water bottles in government functions and meetings.
In the meanwhile, we all need to resolve at individual levels to make a beginning by refusing to take delivery of items in plastic bags while shopping and, instead, insist on paper bags, or carry our own cloth or canvas bags from home.