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Question

What is the effect of excessive use of plastic?

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Solution

Once they are used, most bags go into landfills. Each year, more and more bags are ending up littering the environment. Once they become litter, plastic bags find their way into our waterways, parks, beaches, and streets. And, if they are burned, they infuse the air with toxic fumes.

About 100,000 animals, such as dolphins, turtles, whales, penguins are killed every year due to these bags. Many animals ingest plastic bags, mistaking them for food, and therefore, die. And worse, the ingested plastic bag remains intact even after the death and decomposition of the animal. Thus, it lies around in the landscape where another victim may ingest it.

One of the worst environmental effects is they are non-biodegradable. The decomposition takes about 400 years. No one will live so long to witness the decomposition of plastic! Thus, save the environment for the future generations as well as animals.

Petroleum products are diminishing and getting more expensive by the day, since we have used this non-renewable resource increasingly. And to make plastic, about 60-100 million barrels of oil are needed every year around the world. Surely, this precious resource should not be wasted on producing plastic bags, should it?
this last point is not exactly effect of excessive use of plastic but its about how it is affecting us indirectly in other ways too.
Hope u do well in exams. Cheers!!

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