The April 22nd marks the World Earth Day. This holiday was established for the protection of the environment in our world. By raising public awareness of existing environmental issues and mobilising the public to participate in environmental protection movements, it enhances every individual’s awareness of protecting our mother earth. Earth Day was developed by Gaylord Nelson and Denis Hayes in 1970. Today, this holiday has affected 192 countries around the world, including Australia. With over one billion people participating each year, World Earth Day has developed to be the largest civil environmental holiday in the world. This year is the 55th World Earth Day, with the theme “Planet vs. Plastics.”.
The Origin and Challenges of Plastics
The history of plastics is not very long, which is just around 100 years. It was invented by Austrian scientist Max Schüssler, the father of plastic bags, in 1902. As the material of plastic bags was soft and durable, it quickly entered the market and became widespread across the world.
However, the biggest problem with plastic products is that they are difficult to degrade. Both incineration and landfilling can pose great dangers to our environment. In other words, they can cause serious soil pollution. Over the past several decades, non-biodegradable plastics have always been a major problem. Until today, only about 30% of waste plastics were recycled and reused. Still, there are many kinds of plastics that fail to be recycled, such as plastic foams, pesticide bottles, medication bottles, disposable food containers, cigarette butts, and fragments of agricultural film in the fields.
How Severe is the Problem?
Plastics began mass production during World War II. It is estimated that plastic production will double in the next 20 years, and if no action is taken, plastic pollution will double again by 2060. Therefore, human society must urgently transition to a healthier and more sustainable circular economy.
It is estimated that humankind produces around 430 million metric tonnes of plastic every year. 19 to 23 million metric tonnes of plastic are entering aquatic ecosystems. Plastic pollution poses a great threat to marine, riverine, and terrestrial organisms. At the same time, more than 800 marine species are badly affected by the marine waste.
What Can We Do?
This doesn’t mean that we can never use plastic bags any more. Fortunately, low-density polythene (LDPE) can be recycled, which helps protect natural resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce the amount of waste finally ending up in landfills.
The process of recycling LDPE involves collecting and sorting plastic waste, washing to remove impurities, and then melting the plastic into pellets. These pellets can be used to produce new products, such as garbage bags, waste bins, and packaging materials. Therefore, we can choose to use plastic carry bags that are made of LDPE, which is a more environmentally friendly option.
In Conclusion
One of the greatest environmental challenges we’re facing today is plastic pollution. According to the statistics, the amount of plastic and plastic waste is increasing unexpectedly, which can pose a devastating threat to our ecosystems and wildlife.
To get rid of the crisis of plastic pollution, we can turn to low-density polythene plastic materials, change our consumption behaviour and policies, and pay more attention to sustainable solutions. By working together, we can make impressive achievements in the initiative of protecting our Mother Earth for our future generations. The 55th World Earth Day is around the clock, reminding us to take action from now on.
