What are the environment hazards due to plastics?

We have a group called VANYA which is commited for wild life conservation.... http://groups.google.co.in/group/vanyaletthewildbewild

I have noticed that educated people do more of littering let it be paper, plastic ,,, we have weekend awareness program at Bannerghatta Biological Park, Bengaluru wherein we exchange the plastic (polythene bags) with paper bags ... Educated people have problem and they speak about hygiene and stuff which is immaterial.

Only thing that we can do is carry your own bags for shopping...

Segregate the polythene from regular degradable material before discarding..

take initiate and tell people around you when u see them littering...

Best Regards,

Environment is highly effected by the strokes of human civilization which is the victim of unlimited use of plastics. As plastics and its derivatives have grabbed the nerves of basic necessity of survival.Chemically it is a hydrocarbon (poly ethylene) which is not degradable and the land where these plastics are get buried under, becomes barren. Not only this, it releases its toxicity, when edible materials are kept inside.

plastics should be avoided in the way, which should not include any revolution or agenda by government, but it should be started by the common man. As it is much easier to resist by using jute bags or cloth bags in place of asking the venders for bags. As it is said 'Prevention is better than cure'. So Abandon plastics by taking an oath "It will be started by my home first".

Plastics are non-biodegradable that means which does not convert in any other form,if it buried in soil then it remain as it is. So it becomes landfill. It also create problem if eaten by any animal because it cant be digested. The burning of these plastics also produces harmful gases to the environment which effects the life. Therefore it is better to stop the use of plastics .

Thanks for initiating this type of idea contest. Since plastics takes a very long time to degrade they stop the underground water from flowing and they stop the rain water entering into the earth which lets to the soil erosion. They contaminate the underground water. so we should reduce the usage of the plastics bags, water cans etc.Instead we can use the easily degradable things such as papers for the substitute of carry bags. 

As a responsible citizen and individual, we can avert the hazards of using plastics, by educating the society around us and practicing the non-usage of all non-bio degradable products.

THERE IS NO BIG AND DANGEROUS HAZARD THAN POLITICIANS OF INDIA. ALL TYPES OF OTHER HAZARDS COULD BE CONTROLLED AND LIMITED BUT POLITICIAN's HAZARD CAN NOT BE CONTROLLED.

It is true that Plastic is a environmental hazard. But, how about Electricity, it is produced using non-renewal sources ? How about Paper Industry which gobbles up forest and adversely affects eco system. I think Plastic has got a bad name becuase of irresponsible citizens. As individual consider doing the following:

1. Do not litter garbage around, and also ensure others are educated regarding the same. This will help the plastic not to get a bad name for choking the city drainage system.

2. Think of re-using plastic. Turn around the negative tag that plastics do not or take long time to degreade to an advantage, by re-using the same. There are so many options and use of re-using Plastic available today.

1. Cattle, particularly in our country consume poly bags etc along with eatables from garbage dumps & even die due to that.

2. Such plastic waste chocks sewer & gutter lines, we all know what happened in Mumbai on 26th.

3. Our precious water resources, rivers, ponds etc are getting day by day contaminated due to that. Its just pathetic that people are  littering plastic waste,bags here & there along river bank sides, parks, roads & everywhere.

4. Even after setting standards of poly bags viz a viz micron thickness & recycling guidelines, few paying attention to that, both user & producers, not to mention our govts. (I just don't understand why there is still not a ban, at least for some categories)

5. As my friends suggested here, plastic in non biodegradable & hence to get rid of, it has to be burnt which further causes poisonous gases in atmosphere.

I read somewhere regarding usage of plastic dumps in road construction, perhaps it may be a good solution.