Dr. Muhammad Mahtab Hossain Mazed

People are now more health conscious than before. What are we doing to maintain good health and overall well being? But even after achieving many things, I can't keep plastic away. Plastic bags have become a daily companion. These plastic bags are used daily in every home for various purposes including marketing, garbage disposal, storage of dry food. But when these bags are thrown here and there after use or when these bags are piled up in open places outside the city along with other wastes, the problem occurs.

Plastic bags are not biodegradable. It takes hundreds of years to decompose. As a result it causes environmental pollution as well as damages the ecosystem. Therefore, environmentalists demand that everyone becomes aware of their place before long-term damage occurs.

Here the question may arise, what are the alternatives to plastic bags, which are readily available and useful for daily use? In that case, keep an eye on durable materials. Bags made of cloth, paper and jute are always eco-friendly. Paper bags are biodegradable. They mix with the soil. On the other hand bags made of cloth and jute are durable; It can be used for a long time by regular cleaning. And plastic is a polymer made artificially. It is produced chemically from fossil fuels or natural gas. Being flexible, corrosion resistant, durable and cost effective, plastic products have become indispensable in people's daily life.

Indiscriminate use has spread plastic waste everywhere on Earth, from the bottom of the ocean to Mount Everest, and even in the polar regions. This plastic pollution has already had a long-term negative impact on the earth's soil, water, atmosphere, wildlife, biodiversity and human health.

The daily life of people in the present world is unimaginable without plastic. Almost all packaging and bottles are made of plastic. Some of the plastic used is recycled, but most of it ends up as waste.

About 450 million tons of plastic waste is scattered around the world every year. Plastic waste can remain in the environment for up to 400 years and can have harmful effects on organisms and nature. In developed countries, due to proper waste management, used plastics are less dispersed in the environment. However, Asian countries including China account for 51 percent of the world's plastic pollution. Bangladesh is also in the list of top plastic polluting countries.

Plastic waste (bisphenol-A, phthalates, bisphenone, organotins, per and poly fluoroalkyl and brominated foam retardants etc.) releases serious harmful chemicals into the environment.

These harmful substances as nano and micro particles are entering the animal body through food cycle and water. These substances contained in micro and nano plastic particles can cause adverse changes in the physiological processes of any organism.

The harmful substances of plastic waste micro and nano particles can disrupt the production of sperm and eggs by changing the hormonal environment in the human body. Damage to nerve cells can cause various diseases of the brain and nervous system. It can cause various diseases including cancer by changing the genetics of cells. Also, direct contact with plastic products can cause skin diseases.

Modern life is unsustainable without various products made of plastic. Therefore, the initiative to control pollution by banning plastic products is not logical. Polythene bags made of widely used plastic play the biggest role in pollution. Use of bags made of paper, jute or natural fibers should be encouraged instead of polythene, if necessary restrictions on the use of polythene may be imposed.

Finally, it is necessary to take some specific steps to increase awareness among the public about the use of cloth bags and jute bags as an alternative to polythene and plastic. Owners who have polythene manufacturing factories will be interested in providing loans for the purchase of jute bag making machines. If the workers involved in the production are not trained and prepared to make jute bags, they will produce polythene at any cost to make a living. They will do as many alternative ways as possible. But the factory must be closed. No new production of polythene shopping bags shall be permitted. It should also be kept under surveillance so that polythene cannot come illegally through the border of the country.

Efforts should be made to make paper bags and thongs available and the monitoring team should be increased and the campaign should be continued. Just as polythene comes in different sizes and designs, small, medium and large bags are made from jute and paper. Paper and jute bags are generally more expensive than polythene. So, if necessary, even with subsidies, quality bags should be made. As a result common people will be discouraged from using polythene bags. Campaign, miking, posters, leaflets should be distributed across the country to stop the use of polythene. By carrying out raids on all kinds of small and big shops in every neighborhood, from shopping malls to temporary shops on footpaths, bringing polythene to everyone who can be found under the penalty may reduce its use.

After all, we think that making laws is not enough, implementation is the key to success. Therefore, it is necessary to stop polybag and single-use plastic manufacturing factories at this moment. Because its use can never be stopped by confiscating polybags without stopping the production. By amending the current law, the production and use of plastic plates, glasses, cups, spoons, straws etc. should be banned and the market committee should also be brought under penalty if necessary in the markets where plastic products and polythene bags are available. I

t is also important to increase the awareness of the people of the country about the negative impact of plastic and polythene on the environment, to ensure the supply of chaat bags and eco-friendly productsAnd as much as we give to the environment, the environment will give back to us Therefore, in order to prevent environmental pollution, everyone should be proactive in reducing the use of plastic products and instead of throwing the used plastic products everywhere, they should be disposed of in specific places.

We should all be aware that the faster we stop using plastic products, the faster we can free ourselves from the plastic-polluted environment. So for the good of the environment, why not use bags made of environmentally friendly materials instead of plastic for a better future of the world! International Plastic Bag Free Day is celebrated on July 3 every year since 2008 to convey this message.

The writer is a, columnist & researcher Founder and Chairman,Jatiya Rogi Kallyan Society