Plastics are one of the most innovative inventions, however, we have learned of the dangers this material poses to our planet. The demand for single-use plastics has increased tenfold over the last few decades. Single-use shopping bags, cups, plates, and other disposable objects are exponentially damaging the environment.
Most of the developing countries in the world are implementing a single-use plastic ban to reduce plastic pollution and save the environment. This begs the question, will Kenya follow suit?
Disadvantages of Single-Use Plastics
Plastics are increasingly becoming problematic and as such, they’re being banned across the globe. Their decomposition process is slow and it takes years for them to decompose. They are not biodegradable which means they break down into small pieces, which break down into even smaller pieces and contaminate the environment.
They have an adverse effect on our diet as well. Moreover, they are being thrown into seawaters and landfills, making these plastics a huge concern regarding marine life as well. Plastic bags, for example, resemble jellyfish when seen in the water.
This confuses plenty of marine organisms to feed on them such as turtles and whales. Because of this, marine life is at risk of extinction and almost every day a new species is added to the red list.
Aside from this, burning plastics causes emissions that pollute the environment and release multiple gasses into the atmosphere.
Minimum Use of Energy
The energy crisis has enveloped underdeveloped countries for the past couple of years now. Manufacturing a single-use plastic is not as difficult as disposing of it properly. It takes more energy to recycle the plastic waste and recover it than to manufacture it.
This causes industries to think twice before finding their waste and recycling it. The use of energy in doing so is not feasible for them so they ignore it.
However, there are ways we, ourselves, can minimize our use of energy. There are companies out there that gather your energy requirement data and recommend the best plan according to your needs. Kenya is also a developing country and the use of plastics is fairly high. However, Kenya imposed a ban on single-use plastics in 2017, but it, unfortunately, wasn’t completely implemented.
Because of this, it wasn’t taken seriously and the use of plastics is still common. Kenya’s situation is worsening day by day because plastics are seen everywhere, from the street to ponds and roads. Sanitary systems are clogged due to these issues and it’s destroying infrastructures in Kenya.
The government as well as the people are suffering from this grave issue and will surely implement a ban in the coming time. A brief Data table from Australian comparison service comparethemarket.com.au shows just how much plastic is wasted by Kenyans.
Plastics have become a curse for the world and are silently destroying marine ecosystems. They also have a negative effect on our health as plastics of small sizes are getting into our food and other products. Many countries out there have already implemented a ban on single-use plastics which seems like the ideal thing to do.
