NAME : NM Sheva Nurweda Wahyudati Tangkas

CLASS: XI IPA 2
NUMBER: 31

CLEAN ENVIRONMENT FOR CLEAN AIR

Burning trash is already a norm in Indonesia. Everywhere I go, especially in rural areas,
people always burn their plastic trashes. This activity is very dangerous both for the environment
and our health, and there are various reasons why we should stop burning our trash.
In most cases, especially household trash that is being burned, this activity creates carbon
monoxide (CO) and can disturb our hemoglobin (red blood cells) to transport and circulate the
oxygen (O2) to the whole body system. This O2 deficiency can cause death. Roughly put, 1 ton
of trash that is being burned can potentially cause 30 kg CO gas.
Smokes from the combustion of plastic trash emit chemical reactions called dioxin or a
chemical that can be used for herbicide (poison for plants). On the other hand, this process can
create phosgene or a dangerous gas that was once used as a deadly weapon since World War I.

All the products of burning the trash contain chlorine can create 75 different dangerous
chemicals. The smokes also contain benzopyrene (a dangerous chemical that attacks the heart)
350 times. This chemical is the main suspect for causing cancer and a dangerous hydrocarbon
(similar to vinegar acids) and causing irritation.

Burning trash in the open areas can cause small dust particles or Particulate Matter (PM)
that reach level PM 10 (10 microns). For these levels, chemicals can not be filtered without
respiration systems, so they can enter our lungs and cause respiration problems.

Trash combustion also causes thick fogs and reduces our visibility and our coziness in
our environment. The worst part is they can trigger a wildfire near our house. We surely still
remember the wildfire in Sumatera and Kalimantan Forest and made ships bump into a cliff and
stopped all commercial flight activities in some airports.

There is some regulation that restricts people to burn trash, one of them is Constitution
Number 18 the Year 2008 about Trash Management. In this Constitution, there is one chapter
that regulates burning trash in Chapter 29.

The government has already made an effort to stop people from burning their trash but
there are still some of them, especially in rural areas that still burn their trash. The reason is that
they do not want to do reduce, reuse, and recycle.

The rules are already clear from the government, and I think it’s the stakeholder from
each area and village to support and encourage people to reduce their plastic trash, teach them
how to make organic fertilizer instead of burning them, and make a waste bank for each area.
And while doing so they must not forget to remind people about the Constitution and also the
punishment.