It always starts with one piece of garbage
You’re going on a drive with your parents, eating a packet of peanuts. Once you’re done eating, you decide to discard the empty peanut packet in an abandoned area, and hope no one’s watching. You justify your wrong doing to yourself - after all, it was just ONE packet. One packet is not going to make much of a difference, you think. Unknown to you, several others in your country, region and the rest of the world are also thinking the same thing that the ONE plastic cup, or chocolate wrapper or water bottle will not hurt the environment. While you’re reading this, several million individuals around the world would have just strewn garbage on the side of the road, into a canal or river or even an abandoned spot. Before you know it, that ONE piece of garbage would have a negative impact on the environment.
SOIL CONTAMINATION
When the plastic water bottle you just threw away breaks down, it can release DEHA, a type of carcinogen that can cause reproductive problems, liver issues and weight loss. This type of chemical can leak into the soil and cause contamination that can reach plant and animal life as well as water sources. Newspapers or paper that contains ink can be toxic to the soil as well. If the garbage is dumped or not contained properly in a landfill, it will contaminate the surrounding ground.
AIR CONTAMINATION
Harmful chemicals such as bleach, acid or oil should be disposed of in approved containers and labeled correctly. Paper, plastics and other materials that are burned can contaminate the air when they are burned. Over time the chemicals can build up in the ozone layer. If they contain toxic chemicals like dioxin they can reach the air that people breathe and cause a public health risk. Garbage that is disposed of improperly can also begin to release methane gases. These gases are greenhouse gasses that can destroy the Earth’s ozone layer and contribute to significant climate changes or global warming.
ANIMALS AND MARINE LIFE
Animals are significantly affected by improper garbage disposal. Garbage dumping and discharging raw or untreated sewage can threaten marine life and animals who come in contact with the water. When waste forms a cluster or algal bloom, the area can suffocate and contaminate sea bottom habitats such as coral and fish, reducing their numbers. This contamination not only destroys their habitat, it can also affect human consumption as fish and shellfish that were feasting off contaminated areas reach fishermen and are caught for human consumption. Old fishing baits, plastic bottles, rope, Styrofoam, cigarette butts and fishing lines can be consumed by marine animals leading to the death of millions each year.