Increased consumerism and improved living standards continuously generate solid waste in the form of paper, plastics, wood, glass and metal parts etc. from a number of contributing sources including commerce, trade and business centers, institutions and households.

Problems related to solid waste management are so enormous that it is essential to consider all aspects related directly or indirectly to its management. This may include expansion in urbanisation, pattern and density of urban areas, planning and control of development activities, physical composition of waste, density of waste, temperature and precipitation and scavenger activity for recyclable separation. Responsible municipalities need to take into account the storage, collection, transportation and disposal of solid waste in an environment friendly manner.

As awareness regarding the ever shrinking global natural resource base increases, the issue of solid waste management magnifies which has become the crux of the overall environmental drive to achieve sustainable development mechanisms. It is surprising that among plastic users, very few are aware of the harmful effects of plastic even though environmentalists are busy creating an awareness of the hazards that it causes. The threats posed by plastic to the environment are a growing concern to conservationists around the world.

Plastic is a type of synthetic or man made polymer. Due to its usefulness and multipurpose nature in our daily lives, we tend to ignore the fact that it is one of the major driving factors of environmental degradation and civic problems.

Since polyethylene is used as raw material in plastics; they are non-degradable in nature and remain in the environment nearly forever.

Polyethylene is resistant to water, acids, alkalies and most solvents, and mostly used in plastic containers, toys, pipes, unbreakable bottles and coating. According to an estimate about 500 billion to one trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide every year.

Plastic bags are highly favoured due to low weight, durability, and convenience in packing food stuff. Therefore, about 75% shoppers use plastic bags. Given the widespread use of plastic  bags for shopping and packaging, collection and recycling has become a standing challenge at large.

It is common observation, that waste and trash is most often dumped in public places of which about 80% constitutes plastic bags, causing various diseases due to local unhygienic environment. Mostly used for carrying edibles or other things, which after being used are disposed of in the open on streets and roads. Often plastics are burnt in the streets that prove hazardous through release of obnoxious gases adding to air pollution.

These plastic bags can be seen dangling from trees, electric wires, poles, balconies of houses and wherever they land, creating an eyesore, and bringing them down from such high up places becomes a cumbersome task for the municipality. They drop into the drains thereby plugging the sewerage system which adds to the civic problems besides serving as breeding grounds for flies and mosquitoes causing deadly diseases.

Leather thrown in form of shoes etc takes about 40-50 years, tin cane 50-100 years, and plastic one million years. Plastic bags photograde which means that they break down into smaller bits thus contaminating soil, waterways, and oceans as residue ,  enter the food chain and are ingested by animals.

According to an estimate about one hundred thousand sea creatures and wildlife die every year due to swallowing and entanglement of plastic who most often mistake plastic for food. Indeed a plastic will kill a marine animal that would decompose but the plastic does not decompose with it and in this way it remains in the ecosystem to kill again and again. Moreover, nylon of fishing nets entangle fish, sea turtles and other marine fauna causing injury that often proves fatal.

Alternate job opportunities need to be provided to those associated with this industry. Use of plastic bag must be limited and used bags should be recycled and not merely littered into the streets. Biodegradable bags need to be introduced. Plastic manufacturers may be facilitated to establish units to recycle plastic through a buy-back approach. Use of Recycled Plastic Waste in road and pavement construction could be another useful window to effectively utilise plastic.

Grand scale mass awareness campaigns need to be launched through print and electronic media. Children need to be educated because they observe elders and practice the same.

Alternatives to plastic bags such as string bags, baskets or boxes should be used for shopping.

Need of the day is to rise above thoughts and rhetoric and take serious action. Every consumer need to fight against plastic bags because it is an environmental nightmare, the best solution being to reduce, reuse, and recycle.