BUSINESS DEMOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY

(BD&ES)

ASSIGNMENT – I

PLASTIC MENACE

PRESENTED BY:-

BHAWANA GUPTA (1876187)

SANCHAYATA PATI (1876122)

SHRAVANA CHAKRAVARTY (1876130)

SHREYA DAS (1876132)

ARMAAN ALI (1876158)

INTRODUCTION :

Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles (e.g plastic bottle,
bags, and microbeads) in the Earth's environment that adversely affects wildlife, wildlife
habbit, and humans. Plastics that act as pollutants are categorized into micro and macro based
on size. Plastic pollution can afflict land, waterways and oceans. It is estimated that 1.1 to 8.8
million tonnes of plastic waste enters the ocean from coastal communities each year.
[6] Living organisms, particularly marine animal, can be harmed either by mechanical
effects, such as entanglement in plastic objects, problems related to ingestion of plastic waste,
or through exposure to chemicals within plastics that interfere with their physiology. Effects
on humans include disruption of various hormonal mechanisms.

CAUSES:

The trade in plastic waste has been identified as "a main culprit" of marine litter. Countries
importing the waste plastics often lack the capacity to process all the material. As a result, the
United Nations has imposed a ban on waste plastic trade unless it meets certain criteria.

TYPES OF PLASTIC DEBRIS:

There are three major forms of plastic that contribute to plastic pollution: microplastic as well
as mega- and macro-plastics. Mega- and micro plastics have accumulated in highest densities
in the Northern Hemisphere, concentrated around urban centers and water fronts. Plastic can
be found off the coast of some islands because of currents carrying the debris.

MICRODEBRIS:

Microdebris are plastic pieces between 2 mm and 5 mm in size. Plastic debris that starts off
as meso- or macrodebris can become microdebris through degradation and collisions that
break it down into smaller pieces. Microdebris that come from cleaning and cosmetic
products are also referred to as scrubbers. Because microdebris and scrubbers are so small in
size, filter feeding organism often consume them.

MACRODEBRIS:

Plastic debris is categorized as macrodebris when it is larger than 20 mm. These include
items such as plastic grocery bags. Macrodebris are often found in ocean waters, and can
have a serious impact on the native organisms. Fishing nets have been prime pollutants. Even
after they have been abandoned, they continue to trap marine organisms and other plastic
debris. Eventually, these abandoned nets become too difficult to remove from the water
because they become too heavy, having grown in weight up to 6 tonnes.

PLASTIC PRODUCTION:

Decomposition of plastics-

Plastics themselves contribute to approximately 10% of discarded waste. Many kinds of

plastics exist depending on their precursors and the method for their polymerization.
Depending on their chemical composition, plastics and resins have varying properties related
to contaminant absorption . Polymer degradation takes much longer as a result of saline
environments and the cooling effect of the sea. These factors contribute to the persistence of
plastic debris in certain environments.[15] Recent studies have shown that plastics in the
ocean decompose faster than was once thought, due to exposure to sun, rain, and other
environmental conditions, resulting in the release of toxic chemicals such as bisphenol A.
However, due to the increased volume of plastics in the ocean, decomposition has slowed
down.[24] The Marine Conservancy has predicted the decomposition rates of several plastic
products. It is estimated that a foam plastic cup will take 50 years, a plastic beverage holder
will take 400 years, a disposable nappy will take 450 years, and fishing line will take 600
years to degrade.

MAJOR PLASTIC POLLUTER COUNTIRES

Mismanaged plastic waste polluters-

In 2018 approximate 513 million tonnes of plastics wind up in the oceans every year out of
which the 83,1% is from the following 20 countries: China is the most mismanaged plastic
waste polluter leaving in the sea the 27.7% of the world total, second Indonesia with the
10.1%, third Philippines with 5.9%, fourth Vietnam with 5.8%, fifth Sri Lanka 5.0%,
sixth Thailand with 3.2%, seventh Egypt with 3.0%, eighth Malaysia with 2.9%,
ninth Nigeria with 2.7%, tenth Bangladesh with 2.5%, eleventh South Africa with 2.0%,
twelfth India with 1.9%, thirteenth Algeria with 1.6%, fourteenth Turkey with 1.5%,
fifteenth Pakistan with 1.5%, sixteenth Brazil with 1.5%, seventeenth Myanmar with 1.4%,
eighteenth Morocco with 1.0%, nineteenth North Korea with 1.0%, twentieth United
States with 0.9%.

Effects of plastics:

Negative effects on human health

We eat plastic-contaminated seafood.Scientists have found micro plastics in 114 marine

species, and around one-third of these end up on our plates. We consume plastic via
packaging. BPAs present in many plastic objects that come in direct contact with food is
metabolized in the liver to form Bisphenol A, and it remains in our body. We drink micro
plastics via bottled water. The WHO published shocking research in 2018 that exposed the
presence of micro plastics in 90% of bottled water, the test of which revealed only 17 were
free of plastics out of 259. We absorb plastic through our clothes, 70% of which are synthetic
and worst fabric for the skin.

It Upsets the food chain

Because it comes in sizes large and small, polluting plastics even affect the world’s tiniest
organisms, such as plankton. When these organisms become poisoned due to plastic
ingestion, this causes problem for the larger animals that depend on them for food.This can
cause a whole slew of problems, each step further along the food chain. Plus, it means that
plastic is present in the fish that many people eat every day.

Groundwater pollution

Water conversion is already a concern in places ranging from California to parts of India, but
the world’s water is in great danger because of leaking plastics and waste. If you’ve ever seen
a garbage dump, imagine what happens every time it rains – then imagine that being present
in your drinking water. Ground water and reservoirs are susceptible to leaking environmental
toxins.

Most of the litter and pollution affecting the world’s oceans also derives from plastics. This
has had terrible consequences on many marine species, which can lead to consequences for
those that eat fish and marine life for nutrients – including people.

Land pollution

When plastic is dumped in landfills, it interacts with water and forms hazardous chemicals.
When these chemicals seep underground, they degrade the water quality. The wind carries
and deposits plastic from one place to another, increasing the land litter. It can also get stuck
on poles, traffic lights, trees, fences, towers, etc. and animals that may come in the vicinity
and might suffocate them to death.

Air Pollution

Burning of plastic in the open air leads to environmental pollution due to the release of
poisonous chemicals.  The polluted air, when inhaled by humans and animals, affects their
health and can cause respiratory problems.

It kills animals

Despite countless TV ads over the years showing ducks or dolphins trapped in six-ring plastic
can holders, these items are still used and discarded en masse each day. Whether because the
mass of plastic has displaced animals or the related toxins have poisoned them, plastic
pollution does a lot of damage to the world’s economy.

It is poisonous

Man artificially makes plastic by using a number of toxic chemicals. Therefore, the use of
and exposure to plastics have been linked to a number of health concerns affecting people
around the world. The processes of making, storing, disposing of, and just being around
plastics can be extremely harmful to living things.

Cleaning Plastic expensive

It costs millions of dollars each year to clean affected areas after exposure, not to mention the
loss of life to plants, animals, and people. As land becomes more valuable, just finding a
place to put garbage is becoming a problem in many parts of the world.

How is plastic affecting the environment -

Plastic leads to destroying the marine life and polluting the earth. Millions of tons of plastic
are in the environment as waste, especially in the oceans and seas. the volume of plastic in
the ocean will be more than fish by 2050. The ocean is expected to contain 1 tonne of plastic
for every 3 tonnes of fish by 2025. More than 80% of marine litter is plastic which kills up to
1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine creatures each year by ingesting it.

Some scientific studies say that we are ingesting five grams of plastic per week, the
equivalent of eating a credit card, from the tap, bottled water and through our food. This
eventually goes to our blood, which can contribute to cancer and many diseases. Further,
when plastic is incinerated, it is harmful to human's health and increase carbon emissions that
contribute to climate change.

plastic pollution as a cause of climate change

In 2019 a new report "Plastic and Climate" was published. According to the report, in 2019,
production and incineration of plastic will contribute greenhouse gases in the equivalent of
850 million tonnes of carbondioxide. (CO2)

2) to the atmosphere. In current trend, annual emissions from these sources will grow to 1.34
billion tonnes by 2030. By 2050 plastic could emit 56 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas
emissions, as much as 14 percent of the earth's remaining carbon budget.

Effects of plastic on land

Plastic pollution on land poses a threat to the plants and animals – including humans who are
based on the land.Estimates of the amount of plastic concentration on land are between four
and twenty three times that of the ocean. The amount of plastic poised on the land is greater
and more concentrated than that in the water.Mismanaged plastic waste ranges from 60
percent in East Asia and Pacific to one percent in North America. The percentage of
mismanaged plastic waste reaching the ocean annually and thus becoming plastic marine
debris is between one third and one half the total mismanaged waste for that year.
Chlorinated plastic can release harmful chemicals into the surrounding soil, which can then
seep into groundwater or other surrounding water sources and also the ecosystem of the
world. This can cause serious harm to the species that drink the water.

Plastic pollution in tap water

A study found that 83% of tap water samples taken around the world contained plastic
pollutants. This was the first study to focus on global drinking water pollution.with plastics,
and showed that with a contamination rate of 94%, tap water in the United States was the
most polluted, followed by Lebanon and India. European countries such as the United
Kingdom Germany and France had the lowest contamination rate, though still as high as
72%. This means that people may be ingesting between 3,000 and 4,000 microparticles of
plastic from tap water per year. The analysis found particles of more than 2.5 microns in size,
which is 2500 times bigger than a nanometer.

Effects on animals

Plastic pollution has the potential to poison animals, which can then adversely affect human
food supplies.Plastic pollution has been described as being highly detrimental to large marine
mammals, described in the book Introduction to Marine Biology as posing the "single
greatest threat" to them. Some marine species, such as sea turtles, have been found to contain
large proportions of plastics in their stomach. When this occurs, the animal typically starves,
because the plastic blocks the animal's digestive tract. Sometimes Marine mammals are
entangled in plastic products such as nets, which can harm or kill them.

REDUCTION EFFORTS FOR PLASTIC MENACE

Designing effective policy interventions to motivate mitigation actions requires more realistic
assumptions about human decision-making based on empirical evidence from the behavioural
sciences. We therefore need to consider behavioural rather than only economic costs and
benefits in policy intervention designs.

Reducing plastic pollution has been pushed to the top of the global policy agenda. As of
2015, 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste has been generated, 79% of which has ended up in
landfills or the natural environment. This huge amount of plastic pollution is threatening our
marine, freshwater, and soil environment and potentially the safety of our entire food system.
Accordingly, a number of governments have taken initiatives against plastic pollution:
Canada aims to ban single-use plastics by 2021; Peru banned single-use plastics in 76 natural
and cultural protected areas; and 170 United Nations Member States pledged to reduce the
use of plastics “significantly” by 2030.

While plastics are ubiquitous in daily life, reducing plastic pollution requires actions from all
stakeholders to encourage a more sustainable use of plastics. For example, individuals need
to reduce consumption and minimise their plastic waste. Industries need to take on producer
responsibility and design plastic products that minimise negative environmental impacts
throughout their lifecycles. Governments need to raise public awareness about plastic waste,
restrict toxic and avoidable plastic usages and improve plastic waste management for
recycling and remanufacturing. Many of these actions, however, are currently lacking. From
2009 to 2017, global demand for plastics increased at 4% annually and plastic waste has
continued to grow. Industries rarely explore the potential of eco-design to reduce, reuse and
recycle plastic waste—most of which has gone to incineration or landfills leading to a huge
loss in natural resource value.

Action for creating awareness

Earth Day

In 2019, the Earth Day Network partnered with Keep America Beautiful and National
Cleanup Day for the inaugural nationwide Earth Day CleanUp. Cleanups were held in all 50
states, five US territories, 5,300 sites and had more than 500,000 volunteers.

Earth Day 2020 is the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. Celebrations will include activities
such as the Great Global CleanUp, Citizen Science, Advocacy, Education, and art. This Earth
Day aims to educate and mobilize more than one billion people to grow and support the next
generation of environmental activists, with a major focus on plastic waste.

World Environment Day

Every year, 5 June is observed as World Environment Day to raise awareness and increase
government action on the pressing issue. In 2018, India was host to the 43rd World
Environment Day and the theme was "Beat Plastic Pollution", with a focus on single-use or
disposable plastic. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India invited
people to take care of their social responsibility and urged them to take up green good deeds
in everyday life. Several states presented plans to ban plastic or drastically reduce their use.

Other actions

On 11 April 2013 in order to create awareness, artist Maria Cristina Finucci founded The
Garbage Patch State at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, in front of Director General
Irina Bokova. This was the first of a series of events under the patronage of UNESCO and of
the Italian Ministry of the Environment.