Thousands of plastic factories are producing tons of plastic bags which are very popularly used by the people for shopping purposes because of its ease, cheapness and convenience of use but their very hazardous. Many countries have banned plastic bags due to public concern over the serious negative impact on the environment and agriculture, especially, in agricultural countries, such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, South Africa, etc.
Impacts of Plastic Bags on Agriculture
• As people are not conscious to recycle plastic bags, they throw them everywhere as and when they like and as an unavoidable consequence these discarded plastic bags will ultimately find their ways to agricultural fields mixed with other decomposed materials.
• They remain in the agricultural lands and blocks as well retard the progress of growth of agricultural plants.
• Plastic bags have that inherent property that even though very thin, roots of crops fail to pierce them in order to move around the soil for natural nutrients.
• Plastic bags can take more than 100 years to breakdown. It affects the wildlife and natural beauty of forests. It is also a reason for the death of animals because of suffocation. imbalance of the ecosystem can cause to starvation. Recycling plastic bags is equals to impossible.
• These plastic bags also fill ditches of roadsides, rest on public waterways, rivers and oceans.
It stays in the soil for an excessively long period of time thereby causing unimaginable harms to the agricultural sectors. Plastic bags are the major reason for every type of pollution i.e. Air pollution, Water pollution etc.
Alternatives to Plastic Bags
Impulsive usage of plastic bags is very harmful and this habit should be changed. If we want a healthier environment to live and healthy food to eat then we should replace plastic bags with environment friendly and biodegradable bags like jute bags, paper bags and biodegradable plastic bags etc. Use of these biodegradable bags never cause any harm to human bodies or any other natural resource.
As someone rightly has rightly said that, “Single use of plastic bag is a ticking Tome-Bomb for environment”.
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