How Safe or Dangerous Is Plastic Pollution for The Environment?

The ecosystem has endured many challenges due to human’s excessive needs and consumptions. Through our part in advancing technology, we have increased the potential of numerous things that have made life easier. However, our advancements have enabled us to implement destruction in the environment. One of the components that have played part in this destruction is the ongoing production of plastic pens.

The origin of pens began in Ancient Egypt. These pens were made from a single reed straw. Reed pens were known to be too uncomfortable for usage. However, it was better for the environment than the modern pens we produce today.

In addition, through the development of technology, steel pens were the first forms of pens to be created after the 19th century. They were also the first pens to be created with plastic support. This enabled their popularity globally and fulfilled its purpose to destroy and help.

The plastic that is used to create these pens is poisonous to the environment. Once we have completed the ink from these pens, we burn the plastic, instead of making the effort to recycle and reuse the pen. This is unfortunate because the gases emitted from these pens are toxic to the environment. They cause air pollution, respiratory diseases that affect both animals and humans negatively, global warming and other disasters. Plastic can also be trashed in our water bodies which therefore contaminates our water systems. This means that our animals and plants consume plastic, enabling us to be infected as well through the consumption of contaminated water and food.

According to Kinhal, plastics are known to be one of the most difficult materials to decompose. Researchers also claim that, plastic items can take over 1,000 years to decompose.This is a serious problem because we produce over 380 million tonnes of plastic every year! Believes since plastic has been made to be inexpensive or cheap the volumes of plastic waste generated has led to a serious and negative effect in our environment.

According to Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser, researchers in Geosciences and Economics at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Oxford explained that the increase of global plastic production is measured in tonnes per year. Roser states, “In 1950 the world produced only 2 million tonnes per year. Today, more tonnes of plastic are produced and 20% of plastic waste in the oceans comes from marine sources. This is a problem because in many regions use marine sources as the main food supplier for the people located in that particular area.” This is disturbing because plastic items are not biodegradable. Which means if we do not start reducing the amount of plastic we use. We will drown in an abyss filled with them!

In addition, through the graphs, it can be shown that with an increase in plastic pollution, annual plastic pen production has increased as well and it is to be the same as the mass of two-thirds of the world population.

Through the graphs and maps on Fig 1.0 and Fig 1.1, we can see the rapid increase in plastic production and the insufficient ways they are managed. How can one live in a plastic polluted environment as they consume the impure air with their lungs?

Plastic advocates for death than life. The increase in these plastic pen productions enables the increase of the challenges the environment faces. As we advocate for their products in exchange for a coin, we will surely end up swallowing them down our throats!

According to Scientists at Ghent University, plastic has created its own place in the food chain. Many animals near water bodies consume our plastic pens, which enables the people to ingest the same material the animal ate. We all still have a way to eliminate its position in the food chain, if we reduce its production, through the motion, reduce, reuse and recycle which has been rightfully promoted by the United Nations Centre for Regional Development.

We should be persuaded to implement and follow a way in which we can reduce the high rates of plastic production. If we do not make the effort needed to not only save our ecosystem but ourselves, together we will be buried by layers of plastic pens before we come to bury them instead! In Kenya, plastic pollution is one of the highest forms of pollution we have. It is a horror within itself and many die from its effects every day due to matured repertory diseases.

According to BBC News, plastic materials are easily found in each corner of the streets and are known to be common sites. This can be mainly be because and many are either not educated or alarmed on the impacts littering can cause.

We can enable the recycling of plastic pens and reduce its production if we come together and demand for the government to place disposal areas for plastic pens and plastic itself. For example, a rule should be implemented to enable, each company and school should have a disposal area for their plastic pens and other plastic items, which can be taken every 1 month to be recycled and therefore reused. Coming together to reduce pollution will show promise to the future of not only our environment and wildlife, but also to our future generations.

Plastic pen pollution is an overgrowing concern. In all honesty, we cannot afford to wait for the government to implement laws to reduce this issue. This would take too much time and allow more damage to take place. This is why we must choose to simply do this task by ourselves.

The plastic pen recycling processes involves collecting, sorting, shredding, washing, melting, and pelletizing.The emissions caused by these productions are deadly and can cause uncountable environmental issues. This is why we need to take action immediately to possibly save all that has life.

Without the knowledge the damage plastic and plastic pens causes to our environment is only encouraging companies that create these pens to continue their plastic made productions. Without the awareness of the damage they cause in the environment, companies like HACO and BIC won’t stop their plastic pen productions until there is a decline in sales, in order to save the environment.

According to WWF, many women in Kenya are using wasted plastic and wasted plastic pen material to create colorful jewelry to sell.This is a common way in Kenya and Mombasa, that these women use to earn profit through their creative works.

For example, a woman named Ciru Segal has started a company called Plastic Fantastic Kenya. Segal creates jewelry from plastic and claims that she wishes to see us reclaim the lost beauty of our country.

I believe in such ways we can reduce the plastic pollution we face daily. We can choose to shred the plastic pens and make beautiful items just like Ciru.

Other companies like PAPER PENS CO; create pens that are made of paper of which can biodegrade easily than plastic. In addition, we can make the effort to divert from the use of plastic pens to either pencils or technology entirely. Pencils are eco-friendly and cheaper than pens. They are also safe and easier in the process of biodegrading. We can also use biodegradable plastics of which that can be biodegraded with the use of ultra-violet. Such biodegradable plastics are called Photo-degradable plastics. Moreover, we can also use, refillable pens to reduce the plastic pen production.

Refillable fountain pens can also be more preferable than normal plastic pens. They can last longer if preserved well. However, they can be costly, but they can enable the reduction of plastic pen production.[footnoteRef:18] Unique companies such as MODERN HUMAN INSTRUMENTS that create products known as WINK PENS, use refillable ink pens that use alternative liquids such as wine, juice, or tea. Instead of the normal ink we know. The company was founded in 2015 by Jessica Chan. However, it wasn’t widely advertised for its popularity to grow.

In addition, Lakshi Menon’s, 2017, startup company named ENTRÉE is a company that makes pens that contain seeds that can germinate if they are in contact with water and soil. There not many companies such as these, but with determination, we can form clubs and organizations to promote these ideas and save our planet!

Plastic pens cause a lot of damage to our ecosystem and to humans. Without solutions formed, we may perish due to the extreme causes such pens and materials can cause. We must always choose to find ways that will cause the destruction and reduction of these materials through finding more biodegradable and harmless materials as alternatives.

As I wrote this report, I discovered how far we are from promoting the life-changing ideas we have. It seems that we are sitting on solutions that we can achieve easily if we work together. However, it seems that a huge percentage of the world’s population does not really care about what is happening to mother earth. It is like we are waiting for the world to fully break in order to choose to change our corrupt human ways.

I certainly hope that we choose to turn our attention to mother earth for she is doing her best to sustain us. Without her, there is nothing to look forward to but destruction.

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