Title: [December thematic report] The impact of waste on the environment

Month 4, Report 2

 

The ecosystem is negatively impacted by the increasing amount of waste created from human activities. Numerous substances that are thrown away in the regular waste bin might persist in the environment for hundreds to thousands of years. The presence of this garbage in the environment can have negative effects on plants, animals, and human health.

Landfill site contaminant that can cause environmental issues for plants and animals living downstream, can escape from a landfill site if it is not adequately sealed. Waste also causes loss in biodiversity. Large areas of vegetation are cleared and the ecosystem is changed as a result of the demand for additional landfill sites. Numerous species that reside in the local area, including both plants and animals, may be displaced as a result. Excessive land clearing can eventually lead to a large loss of biodiversity and the extinction of many of these species.

Similarly, the wind and rain can easily spread lightweight debris like plastic bags from trash cans and landfills into the surrounding environment. A lot of this lightweight material poses a variety of risks for household animals and wildlife, who may become entangled or choke if they mistake litter for food.

Because of the chemical makeup of plastic, it may move over large distances without disintegrating and takes a long time to decompose in the environment.

 

How can we do?

We can prevent the development of new landfill sites and help conserve our special ecosystem by recycling properly, reusing products more than once, and reducing the amount of waste we produce. Recycling prevents the loss of biodiversity, conserves important space, and lowers the number of pests in our ecosystems.

The dedication to trash reduction and efficient garbage treatment can be a difficult task for many people. It’s never too late if we also start from today. Even if only a small number of people are show any effort made to dispose of waste properly it will help prevent future tragedies and suffering. Therefore, always check to make sure you're not accelerating environmental degradation while focus on assisting in efficient trash management.