Exploratory Essay Exanmple: Importance of Plastic Recycling

Plastic is everywhere nowadays. People are using it endlessly just for their comfort. However, no one realizes how it is harming our planet. We need to beware of the consequences so that we can stop plastic pollution. The use of plastic is deeply embedded in our daily lives, in everything from plastic bags and bottles to sandwich rapes. But the quest for convenience has gone too far, and we are failing to use plastic efficiently, wasting valuable resources and harming our environment. Plastic waste makes its way from offices and our homes to landfills and water bodies causing contamination. Pollution of plastic is becoming more of a global problem. Foundations, governments, and some social media organizations have attempted to raise awareness of this problem.

Plastic is mainly used by industries since it is cheap and durable. Toxic chemicals leach out of plastic and are found in the blood and tissue of nearly all of us. Exposure to them is linked to cancers, impaired immunity, and other ailments. We all know the phrase reduce, reuse, recycle, and it's common knowledge that these steps are generally good for the environment. What you might not know is that the order of those words has meaning as well. The words are the greatest impact in lowering your carbon footprint, reducing is the most important. They are also known as the 3R's. The concept behind the first R, reduce, is that you should limit the number of purchases that you make in the first place. So, for example, we must reduce the use of plastic bags and use cloth or jute bags while shopping. We can also reduce kitchen wastes by converting them into compost. We can save water by closing taps while brushing our teeth. Furthermore, we can reduce the use of electricity, that is, we should turn off fans and lights when we leave a room. Once the plastic is in your possession, it is your chance to be creative and find different usages for it that is what our second R, Reuse tells us. Reuse plastic produce bags for sandwiches, plastic grocery bags for small trash bags. If you can't find a use for something, donate it! Not only will you be reducing waste, but you'll also be helping others. Our last R, Recycle tells us that after you have reused your plastic as many times as possible and are ready to dispose of it, choose the recycling container instead of the trash. Recycling plastic takes less energy than making plastic from raw materials. Sure it can be a hassle to clean your peanut butter jar to recycle it rather than tossing it in the trash, but the impact is vastly different and the choice is yours. If we reduce, reuse, and recycle, we can live in a cleaner, safer and happier environment.

Many schools produce a large amount of plastic waste, but you can change that. By getting your school on board and educating them about the effects of plastic pollution, you can make a huge difference. To start with, your school may also already have an Eco-Science or environmental club. If that's the case, it's very easy for students to spread awareness of plastic pollution. If there's no committee yet, that's ok. You can arrange a meeting with the principal and ask for their support in setting one up. Once you've got your group of like-minded students together, introduce the idea to the rest of the school by putting up posters. Another fun and simple activity are holding a plastic-free lunch day, where every student tries to bring their own lunch, not wrapped in plastic or can choose a plastic-free option from the canteen. Remember to let everyone know it's happening and give notices to them. There are many opportunities to go plastic-free within the school. Craft and classroom activities are a big idea to start. Such models should be prepared at the school level by using plastic-free materials. With all these ideas we can eradicate plastic. Students are often keen to make a difference and willing to make small changes if they can see the bigger purpose. A simple switch can have a huge multiplier effect. Schools are also often a great base for broader change. Many students and teachers start to adopt plastic-free practices in their everyday lives outside of school, too.