The excessive usage of plastic bags in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi has become order of the day, resulting in high environmental problems and hazards to human health. The bags are frequently used in the markets by fast food restaurants, fruits vendors, milk provider, convenience stores and other shops.
An expert of Environment told APP that the plastic bags create visual pollution problem and can have harmful effects on aquatic and terrestrial animals.
He said that concerned authorities were working with community to reduce the environmental impact of plastic bags. However, everyone shares some responsibility for this problem from plastic bag manufacturers and importers who sell the bags, shopkeepers who give them away and the customers who use them. It is up to all of us to find the solution.
In recent years, some sections of people have started using reusable bags, such as the 'green bags' you can buy at most supermarkets. He said that the plastic bags are particularly noticeable components of the litter stream due to their size and can take a long time to fully break down.
"Plastic bags end up as litter that fouls the landscape, and kill thousands of marine mammals every year that mistake the floating bags for food". He said that the Plastic bags that get buried in landfills may take up to 1,000 years to break down, and in the process they separate into smaller and smaller toxic particles that contaminate soil and water.
While hundreds of thousands of whales, dolphins, sea turtles and other marine mammals die every year after eating discarded plastic bags, " he said. Although plastic bags make up only a small percentage of all litter, the impact of these bags is nevertheless significant.
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