2022 Teens Dream - Plastic Pollution

I aspire to support legislation to curb plastic pollution and sensitize as many people as possible on the dangers of plastics pollution on land (for humans) and most especially below water (for marine animals). My dream has as principal objective to limit the industrial, local production and use of plastics in our community.

Even though plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues, plastic has however become an inseparable and integral part of our lives. The amount of plastics consumed annually has been growing steadily. Its low density, strength, user-friendly designs, fabrication capabilities, long life, low weight and low cost are the factors behind such phenomenal growth. So, my aim is not eradicate plastics but to limit its negative impact on the environment.

Plastic waste is very visible as it contributes to a large volume of the total solid wastes. Precisely because of their large visibility, plastic waste have been viewed as a serious solid waste problem. Sensitizing the population on its consequences on human and animal health will help attract peoples’ attention on how to properly dispose them in order to avoid accumulation of plastic debris in the environment and on water bodies.

Most plastics are non-degradable and they may take a long time to break down once they are land-filled. With more and more plastic products, particularly plastics packaging, being disposed of soon after their purchase, the landfill space required by plastics waster is a growing concern. Plastics production also involved the use of potentially harmful chemicals which are added as stabilizers or colorants. Many of these have not undergone environmental risk assessment and their impact on human health and the environment is currently uncertain. Supporting legislation to curb the production and use of plastics and their derivatives will help solve some of these problems.

Despite the fact that plastic has many direct economic advantages and can contribute to resource efficiency through rising shelf life, it decreases food waste, and its relatively low weight decreases fuel consumption for goods transport, however we should not let plastic contamination cause harmful contaminants that cause damage to humans, animals and plants. This can take hundreds or even thousands of years for plastic to break down, so the long-lasting environmental damage. It affects all food chain organisms from tiny species such as plankton through to whales.

Estimates show that by 2050 the ocean would have more plastic, by weight, than fish!