Plastic Pollution and Its Impact

Introduction

• Plastic is a ubiquitous part of daily life.
• Commonly used for wrapping food, straws, etc.
• Lightweight, strong, and convenient.

The Problem of Plastic Waste

• Increasing plastic waste in the environment (on land, rivers, oceans).
• Statistics:
  • Hundreds of millions of tons of plastic produced annually.
  • 8 million tons of plastic waste dumped into oceans each year.
  • Equivalent to 20 Boeing 737 planes being dumped every hour.
• Plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose.
• Prediction for 2050: 12 trillion plastic trash, more plastic in the ocean than sea animals.

Consequences of Plastic Pollution

• Wildlife suffers due to plastic ingestion.
• Microplastics enter the food chain, affecting human health.
• Potential diseases from consuming contaminated fish.

Indonesia's Role

• Indonesia is the second-largest producer of plastic waste.
• Simply throwing trash away is not an effective solution.

Solutions to Plastic Pollution

Reduce Plastic Usage

• Suggestions for individuals:
  • Use reusable containers and tumblers.
  • Bring personal shopping bags.
  • Avoid single-use plastic items.
  • Reuse plastic bags whenever possible.

Trash Sorting and Disposal

• Understand the disposal categories:
  • Yellow Bin: Non-organic waste (plastic).
  • Green Bin: Organic waste (food).
  • Red Bin: Toxic materials (batteries, ink).
• Sort trash instead of using general trash bins.

Trash Banks

• Community initiative: Bring sorted trash to a trash bank.
  • Officers weigh and count the trash.
  • Even 2 kg of sorted trash can be converted into valuable resources.

Conclusion

• Choose to collect and sort trash to reduce pollution.
• Collective efforts can transform waste into resources ("trash to gold").
• Emphasizes the importance of individual actions in combating plastic pollution.