Africa after years of affection for the plastic bags seems to be ready for a war on the same.
Plastic bag, once known to be the cuddling baby of Africans is now finding wrath in them. Years after being amazed by the capacity and elasticity of plastic bags, Africa is ready to chuck them out for safety. Millions of plastic bags now find home on roads and fields, throttling the soil, sheltering and breeding mosquitoes, resulting in malaria and dengue, becoming very much an environment-cum-health hazard.
Africans are now realizing the danger posed by plastic polythenes and are being advocated to re-use rather than irresponsible disposal in garbage, which is not only an eyesore but also an environmental irritant. Almost every African nation seems to focus on promoting rational use and disposal of plastic bags. While few autonomous states have imposed stringent restrictions on the use of plastic bags and anyone found guilty of carrying it is severely fined, others are looking forward to follow suite.
Plastic bag, our cheapest and convenient store is immensely choking life out of the environment. Plastic litter tends to suffocate the soil in turn the plants resulting in dried and desiccated flora. Besides this, synthetic bags obstruct free flow of sewage by blocking drains. They are a health hazard for marine organisms that can very easily nibble, swallow and digest them, choking their internal system and suffocating life out of them. Moreover they tend to be toxic because of presence of lead in them.
In this age when global warming is already suffocating our environment, curbs on plastic use and careless disposal need to be implemented. Else, it can very easily become the biggest environment hazard and choke life out of it. Africans have understood, other nations especially those in Asia, where plastic bags are the cheapest means of storage need to follow suite.
Via: ENN
