ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

Reducing the Amount of Plastic Waste in Everyday Life

Disusun Oleh:

Suci Rahmadani

(2161206001)

Program Studi Perbankan Syariah

FAKULTAS AGAMA ISLAM

UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH TANGERANG

TAHUN AJARAN 2021/2022

 Reducing the Amount of Plastic Waste in Everyday Life

Plastic waste is a type of waste that poses a serious threat to the environment because in
addition to its increasing amount, plastic bags are a type of waste that is difficult to decompose
by natural processes (non-biodegradable) and is a xenobiotic pollutant (a pollutant that is not
recognized by biological systems in the world). environment causes pollutant compounds to
accumulate in nature). If plastic waste is burned openly it can cause cancer, plastic waste can
also contaminate waterways, irrigation, rivers, lakes, beaches and soil. In a certain amount,
plastic waste is proven to clog channels/rivers which can cause flooding. The total generation of
plastic waste is 16% of the total national waste generation. The trend of plastic waste generation
in urban areas in the last 10 years, in 2005, was from 11% to 15% in 2015. A total of 9.85 billion
pieces per year are produced from 90 retail outlets throughout Indonesia. Data from Jambeck et
al for 2015 stated that Indonesia is the second country producing 1.29 million tons of plastic
waste in the sea per year. In my opinion, here are some things we can do in our daily lives to
reduce the amount of plastic waste so that it has a positive impact on our health and
environmental sustainability.

Firstly, bring your own shopping bag when you want to shop. Before the use of plastic bags was
completely banned by the government, the use of plastic bags in shopping centers was subject to a fee
of Rp. 500 per bag. After the use of plastic bags was banned, shopping centers began to offer
alternatives to plastic bags in the form of recycled shopping bags. Depending on the type, these recycled
bags range from Rp. 10,000 – Rp. 50,000. If you already have your own shopping bag, of course you will
save expenses every time you shop. Using a shopping bag is far more durable than using plastic which is
not capable of carrying heavy loads so it tears quickly if the load exceeds its capacity. Therefore,
shopping bags will be an alternative to shopping bags that can last a long time, so there is no need to
worry when shopping that they will be torn and damaged. Shopping bags now come in a variety of
designs and motifs. This bag is not just a shopping bag, but can also be used as an accessory in everyday
life and has become a new fashion trend. The beautiful design is added to the material which is light and
easy to wash again. This is to reduce the feeling of desire with plastic products. So,we can replace
plastic bags with products that are more environmentally friendly, such as using paper or cloth
bags everytime we shop, so we can reduce the use of plastic bags in everyday life.
 Secondly, bring your own drinking bottle when traveling outside the home. By bringing your own
bottle, you can avoid buying disposable bottled drinking bottles which are sold in many stalls. You only
need to drink from your reusable bottle. Bringing a drinking bottle can also save you money, for example
every day you have to spend 3 thousand rupiahs to buy a bottle of water, so in a month you will spend
90 thousand rupiahs. If you multiply it for a year, your need to buy bottled water can reach more than 1
million, so by bringing your own water bottle you can save money without having to buy bottled water
again. Bringing your own drinking bottle can also be healthy for your body because you will avoid buying
drinks out there that make your body unhealthy. It's possible, right? Bottled water sold outside is water
that hasn't been cooked or water that isn't fit for consumption because of careless storage. If you bring
your own water and drinking bottles from home, you can be more sure that the water you bring is
cooked, so it's healthier and safer to drink and it can also keep you from getting dehydrated because you
can drink it at any time and tend to be safer when you take it with you. in the bag because it is made of
strong material and is designed in such a way that it does not leak. So, we should bring our own
drinking bottles because it can save money, is healthier and is also safe to take on trips,so we no
longer need to buy bottled water which can increase the amount of plastic waste spread.

Thirdly, don't use plastic straws. Plastic straws are a drinking tool that cannot be separated from
everyday life. In every restaurant or cafe, there are always plastic straws available. Straws are one of the
biggest contributors to plastic waste in the world. One clear evidence of the dangers of plastic straws for
the environment is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). This is a landfill between Hawaii and
California which is estimated to have accommodated more than 80 thousand tons of waste. Plastic
straws are very harmful to marine life. Reported by National Geographic, every year there are more than
eight million tons of straw waste that is washed away by ocean currents. Apart from making the
environment dirty and polluted, straw waste is very dangerous for the preservation of marine biota. The
large amount of plastic waste, including straws, often gets stuck in the bodies of turtles, fish and seals,
and is even eaten, causing many marine animals to become poisoned. Seeing this, campaigns have
started to emerge to care for the environment. So, to reduce the use of plastic straws, we can
replace them with materials that are more environmentally friendly, such as bamboo straws,
stainless steel straws, paper straws, silicon straws and acrylic straws.

So, the conclusion from the paragraph above is that plastic waste is the most difficult to
decompose, the more amount it can have a bad impact on our environment. Therefore, from now
on we must always get used to it when we go shopping to bring shopping bags, when traveling
bring our own drinking bottles and reduce the use of plastic straws. If we do this, it will help
reduce the use of plastic, reduce the amount of plastic waste, have a positive impact on the
environment around us and can also reduce global warming.

Quotes:

“Single use plastic is an environmental ticking time bomb. Avoid it wherever and whenever
possible” -Jennifer Nini.

“Say no to all plastic, to make your life fantastic!.Say yes to all eco-green, to make earth
beautiful green”-Santhi Anandan.
 Outline Of My Essay

Introduction

Thesis Statement:

In my opinion, here are some things we can do in our daily lives to reduce the amount of plastic
waste so that it has a positive impact on our health and environmental sustainability.

Body Paragraphs

a. Topic Sentence:

Firstly, bring your own shopping bag when you want to shop.

 Using a shopping bag can save your money

 Shopping bags are much more durable than using plastic
 Shopping bags can be accessories and new fashion trends

So,we can replace plastic bags with products that are more environmentally friendly, such as
using paper or cloth bags everytime we shop, so we can reduce the use of plastic bags in
everyday life.

b. Topic Sentence:

Secondly, bring your own drinking bottle when traveling outside the home.

 Bringing a drinking bottle can also save you money

 Can also be healthy for your body and avoid dehydration
 Drinking bottles tend to be safer when carried in a bag
 So, we should bring our own drinking bottles because it can save money, is healthier and is
also safe to take on trips,so we no longer need to buy bottled water which can increase the
amount of plastic waste spread.

c. Topic Sentence:

Thirdly, don't use plastic straws.

 Making the environment dirty and polluted

 Straw waste is very dangerous for the preservation of marine biota.
 Replace them with materials that are more environmentally friendly, Such as bamboo
straws, stainless steel straws, paper straws, silicon straws and acrylic straws.

So, to reduce the use of plastic straws, we can replace them with materials that are more
environmentally friendly, such as bamboo straws, stainless steel straws, paper straws,
silicon straws and acrylic straws.

Conclusion

So, the conclusion from the paragraph above is that plastic waste is the most difficult to
decompose, the more amount it can have a bad impact on our environment.

Recommendation

Therefore:

 From now on we must always get used to it when we go shopping to bring shopping
bags,
 When traveling bring our own drinking bottles,
 Don't use plastic straws but you can use straws from environmentally friendly materials.