"BAN PLASTIC", an essay by Meenakshi Rathod B.A. HEP II YEAR. 

BAN PLASTIC POLLUTION: A Fight for Survival!

Have you ever seen a sea turtle struggle to breathe because a plastic bag clogged its throat? Or watched a cow eat garbage filled with wrappers and bottles? These aren’t just disturbing images – they are real stories, happening every single day around us.

Plastic – once hailed as a miracle invention – has now turned into the biggest monster we created. Cheap, convenient, and everywhere, plastic is no longer just an environmental issue; it is a life-threatening emergency. From choking oceans to killing animals, from polluting soil to entering human bodies – plastic is destroying everything in its path.

Let’s not sugarcoat it: WE ARE DROWNING IN PLASTIC.

The True Cost of Plastic: More Than We Can Bear

Plastic is everywhere – in our hands, homes, streets, rivers, oceans, and even inside us. Every year, over 8 million tons of plastic waste end up in the oceans. Animals choke on it. Soil turns toxic. Rivers get blocked. And the saddest part? It never goes away.

It takes 500–1000 years for plastic to decompose. Microplastics are now found in the food we eat, water we drink, and air we breathe. In India, plastic blocks drains, causes urban flooding, and spreads disease.

Are we willing to trade our children’s future for a plastic spoon or a shopping bag? Some say banning plastic is inconvenient. But what is more inconvenient – carrying a cloth bag or living in a world where rivers are dead, crops are poisoned, and animals suffer daily? This ban is not against convenience – it’s for SURVIVAL.

A Better Tomorrow: Eco-Friendly Alternatives

Imagine a world where:

• Milk is delivered in glass bottles
• Groceries are carried in jute bags
• Parties use steel cutlery, not plastic waste
• Packaging is made of leaves, not poison

These are not dreams – they’re possibilities. Let’s be clear: there is NO excuse left. We know the damage. We know the alternatives. So why wait? It’s time to ban plastic pollution – completely, boldly, and urgently!

The Power of Youth: Change Begins With Us

You don’t need to be a politician to change the world. You just need to care. We, the students and youth, are the voice of tomorrow. We can lead by:

4R principles

• Refusing plastic in our daily lives
• Educating people
• Participating in clean-up drives and campaigns
• Using social media to raise awareness
• Supporting strict government policies
• Promoting alternatives

Plastic pollution is a war. And it’s time we fight like warriors – with our choices, our voices, and our courage. Say NO to plastic at every chance. Be the change others follow.

We are the last generation that can fix this. Let the world know: we will not drown in plastic. We will rise with purpose. We will fight. And we will win.

Because when we ban plastic pollution, WE CHOOSE LIFE. WE CHOOSE EARTH!