When we think of plastic, most of us view it as a simple and worthless material. Some of us view it as a pollutant and threat to our world, and surprisingly enough, a select few actually view this “worthless” material as a crucial and important choice to be made. Why is that, you might ask? Why is it that the majority avoids a war while the rest urge for help to combat a losing one? Well, this might be because the control of plastic is not a war against evil, but rather a continuous combat against ourselves: humanity. Sadly enough, it is a war hidden in selfishness, money and economical transparency; one which might tear our world apart before we know it.
In today’s world, plastic is found and used everywhere to power our phones, carry our food, and transport our water.
In fact, according to statistics found in reports from the Plastic Oceans Organization, humanity produces more than 300 million tons of plastic per year. This number and production rate could be justified if plastic simply were to disappear from our environment, but in reality, most of the plastic ends up harming our environemnt in many different ways. According to reports from The None Plastic Beach Foundation, approximately 100,000 sea turtles and other marine animals die every year because they get strangled in bags or mistake them for food. In addition to harming marine animals, plastic also harms ecosystems and habitats along with the cutting of more than 6.5 million trees per year, according to statistics from The None Plastic Beach Foundation. If that is not enough, it has also been found that about 8 million metric tons of plastic also end up in the ocean and has risen as a contributing pollutant, releasing harmful toxins into the atmosphere as well. This being said, is it really fair to handle our world this way? While we cherish and continue to live our life lavishly, millions of animals, plants and ecosystems fall victim to plastic. Is it really our fault? Are we that bad to our environment to the point where a plastic bag is an animal’s last breath? Should we be ashamed or are we simply blinded by selfishness and ignorance? Unfortunately, it seems as if when it comes to plastic we are not only victimizing the environment through the effects that it brings, but humans, themselves, fall victim to the capabilities of what seemed to be a “worthless” material before.
I continue to use plastic even when I know how pollutant and harmful it is to the environment. I am one in possibly millions who also have knowledge of how dangerous plastic is to our world, but keeps on using it constantly. Is it really that hard for us to understand this? It seems as if instead of recognizing and taking action against this quiet but increasingly dangerous threat we subdue to it. We back up to this problem rather than standing in front of it and genuinely recognizing that as harmless as it seems, it is and will continue to be possibly the biggest challenge we as humanity must take. Regardless of it being a small plastic bag or a plastic water bottle, it will eventually affect our environment, and frankly it seems as if the more essential plastic becomes the less we think about the effects it brings globally. However, the use of plastic has also been justified and reinforced; it seems as if oddly enough it also brings benefits. After all, humans have been producing plastic for more than fifty years, so do the benefits that plastic brings overshadow its negative effects towards the environment? Effectively, it actually depends on your view and the perspectives you establish on the dilemma surrounding this material.
By now you probably might be wondering: If plastic is as bad as it seems why is it that it has not been banned or restricted?
Well, in a different perspective, plastic is not such a bad thing, in contrast it is one of the best things that could have happened to humanity. As I mentioned before, plastic simply makes our lives way easier while being one of the main bases for today’s economy. For one, it is such a cheap material that keeps the economy running and gives path to more money. In addition, it is because of plastic that we are able to power technology such as phones, laptops, TV’s, etc. Humans have simply based a large part of their economy in plastic itself. This, in turn, makes us wonder how such a harmful material can be the base and priority of one’s economy. It makes us question whether or not we should actually view plastic in such a negative way, as it makes our world much easier. One way or the other, trees will keep on getting cut, animals will keep on dying, oceans will keep on accumulating with plastic, and before we know it, we will be reminiscing on the things we had in the past.
After all this, it can be said that unfortunately for us, plastic is not considered a “worthless” material anymore; it is now a choice. Are we going to sit back and be guided by selfishness and ignorance or are we going to recognize that this is not what this world deserves? As hard as it is, we must make sacrifices not only for ourselves but for future generations and make the right choice. The select few who truly care about our planet must become the majority and we must have the firmness to understand that plastic is a true and perilous problem that we face. It is up to us to make the choice, but one thing is for sure, the future is indeed today and it is up to us to determine what it will look like.