Introduction

Plastic: A Material for Eternity?

Since the start of the twentieth century, this petroleum -based material has
blazed a triumphant trail through the world of consumption. It is economical,
simple to process, and can be given almost any required quality. Today,
throughout the world 300,000,000 kilograms (300,000 metric tons) of plastics are
produced every year. But what happens to a plastic product at the end of its life
cycle?
This becomes an important question to ask! Most of it comes from mismanaged waste
from land. They either end up in rivers, ocean (mostly in them) and land-fills. Population size
and quality of waste management, especially in coastal regions, are crucial factors in the
disastrous contribution to the stream of plastic garbage in the sea. A large part reaches the
ocean via rivers. But ships and the fishing industry are also a huge source of plastic garbage
littering. A majority of plastic waste sinks to the floor of the sea, 15 percent moves around
the surface, and a further 15 percent is stranded at some time or another on the coastline.

As standard plastic is not biodegradable, these pieces are broken up into ever -smaller
pieces and end up in the sediment. If they do not settle there or are frozen into the
arctic ice, they might very well be consumed by plankton and enter the food chain. And
so, the garbage ends up on our plates, with serious consequences for our health.
Already today there is not a single square kilometre of fresh or seawater that is free of
plastic particles.
Dedicated foot problems➔Direct / Indirect
Groundwater pollution
If we do not take care of plastic waste
properly, we end up drinking it one way or the
other. For example, landfills are full of
hazardous chemicals that go deeper and
deeper into the ground every time it rains.
Plastic interacts with water and creates
Styrene Trimer, Bisphenol A, and a by-product
of Polystyrene, among the others, which are
extremely harmful to our health. Bisphenol A
is known to affect the animals’ reproductive
systems, and it makes one wonder whether
humans are susceptible to it, too.
Cause of floods
All those plastic bags, bottles and other
objects eventually end up in canals, water
reservoirs and drain. After some time, they
become partially or completely clogged and
can’t deal with a huge surge of water, thus
increasing risks of causing great material
damage and even losing lives.
Soil contamination
China has admitted that 19% of its agricultural
land is polluted. Australia, too, has declared
that around 80,000 sites are classified as
contaminated. The detrimental effects of
plastic on soil are not that well explored
compared to marine and water
contamination, mostly because it is through
land that plastic and its particles end up in
water, or the plastic objects are blown away
by the wind into seas, oceans and rivers.
Nevertheless, it could be rightfully said that
having plastic in soil is not good for plants nor
the animals since it obstructs their
development. If the crops are in a poor state,
so is our diet, isn’t it? Not to mention the
effects on the economy.
Marine pollution
We should be reminded that most of this
planet is water and that the majority of it is in
oceans and seas. Hence, marine pollution
equals pollution of the biggest part of planet
Earth. Shockingly, between 10 and 20 million
tons of plastic waste get into the oceans one
way or the other. What is especially worrying
is the emergence of the before mentioned
microplastics. These particles end up in
stomachs of fish and other creatures, all the
way to our stomachs. Imagine plastic and its
chemicals going through your veins – not a
very nice picture, is it?
Animal deaths
100 million – that is the number of deaths of
marine animals due to plastic debris. As we
have already mentioned, most of it comes
from the land areas. Unfortunately, there are
many ways sea creatures die owing to plastic.
For example, the majority eats it. The
pollutant gets stuck in their stomach,
preventing them from eating food. The same
happens on land, too, since animals mistake
the material for something edible, especially
when eating from rubbish bins. Also, a lot of
species get tangled into plastic waste and die
soon enough.
Objectives of the study
Here we wish to provide some important models associated with plastic waste management that are
not only adapted in various foreign countries but initiate some drastic impacts that are positive even
if implemented with small dedicated workforce. These models and associated steps recommended
in the below study are direct and easy and can be implemented by Govt. of Delhi. This if taken ahead
will lay marking stone, an inspiration for other cities of our country to adapt according to their
demographical and geographical needs.

These steps work on simple aspects of 5 R’s of conserving and protecting but to do them in most
efficient manner.

Another perspective