¿SHOULD PLASTIC BE BANNED?

Did you know that depending on the type and

size of each plastic, it takes between 100 and
1,000 years to decompose? Plastics that are
thrown into the sea, which in addition to ending
the lives of many animals, their decomposition
time is longer than if they were on land. There
are many reasons why plastic should be banned
or at least severely restricted. Plastic pollution is
a growing problem around the globe and its
environmental, economic and social impacts are
considerable.

First, we have the marine and land pollution,

Plastic is a non-biodegradable material that takes
hundreds of years to decompose. When plastic wastes are discarded, which often ends up in
landfills or oceans, they harm marine life and other forms of life in the vicinity. They also
contribute to the huge volumes of ocean plastic garbage that is now a major environmental
concern.

Also, we can add the health risks, microplastics in plastic products can enter the human body
through the food chain and are known to cause many health problems, including cancer,
reproductive problems, immune system dysfunction, etc.

Something that is very important is the economic disadvantages, plastic manufacturing and
consumption are causing an increase in carbon emissions and greenhouse gas concentrations in
the atmosphere, leading to global warming and climate change. In addition, the production of
single-use plastic products creates a significant economic burden on the society, as the plastic
waste generated costs the society millions of dollars to manage.

As a final thing that I would like to add is the lack of recycling, only a small fraction of plastics can
be effectively recycled due to the complexity of
the material. Plastic waste ends up in landfills
and oceans, which contributes to the vast
quantities of plastic pollution that we see today.
Overall, plastic pollution is a major
environmental and public health challenge that
has consequences for both humans and the
natural world. It's crucial that we take action to
reduce plastic consumption, improve waste
management systems, and explore alternative materials to replace plastic in products where
possible.

We can realize that the problem is not the plastic itself. In fact, some experts on the subject
consider that plastic is very ecological because it is a reusable and recyclable material. In my
opinion the problem is that human beings misuse plastic. We do not have the culture of reusing
and recycling it correctly, that is, separating waste so that it can be recycled.

In conclusion, plastics are a significant environmental, health, and economic problem that needs to
be addressed urgently. The production, use, and disposal of plastics have a serious impact on the
natural environment, human health, and the economy. The solutions to plastic pollution include
reducing the use of plastics, switching to sustainable alternatives, and implementing policies and
regulations to reduce plastic pollution. If we take these steps together, people can make a big
difference in reducing plastic pollution and protecting our health, the environment, and the
economy.

Juan Felipe Velandia Bonilla