Going shopping with parents at the supermarket is a merry occasion for children. The wide variety of colours and packages fill their senses, and they tend to get lost in the different shapes and sizes of the packets. Though most of the items that attract them come packed in plastic covers, they are least aware of their harmful effect on the environment.

Plastics take millions of years to decompose, and if we buy plastic bags from the shop, we will be piling up plastic waste, which will pollute our environment. Cloth bags are a better alternative to plastic bags as they are biodegradable.

That is why we must restrict the usage of plastic though it is used a lot as part of our daily activities. I realised that people rely on plastics because they are cheaper and easily available. But can other negative effects of plastics be overlooked with this single advantage? Plastics cannot be burned away or broken down, and this calls for serious problems in the environment, including land, air, water and food pollution.

Plastic remains on the surface of water and earth, and its toxic components are released into these bodies, affecting every single living creature and plant. While plastic gets swallowed by aquatic life as they mistake it for food, it also provides a perfect ground for disease-spreading insects, thus harming the health of individuals as well.