Why are plastics called pollutants?

Question

1)Is it because if burnt they spoil our air ?

2)Is it because they stay in (non-biodegradable) and make soil/water(will stop light and make water lifeless) infertile?

For point 2, even rocks stops light,air and water to enter soil. why are we not calling them as pollutants?

Answer 1

in the enviroment they takes 100's let off toxins

they also leech chemicals that is damiging to our bodys.

causes bith defects and cancer.

Answer 2

We produce so much waste plastic that we don't even use that it just pollutes.

Answer 3

Hello Stravis

Plastics are Killing our Air and Spoiling Earth and polluting our Drinking Water and make Air Pollution.

Four Months back I went to Kerala (South India State-India)to see my Friend in Tellchery. I purchase Fruits in Platic Bags. Immediately Police person asked me to fine for my Mistake. I explained everything. Police told Plastic Bags ( Which is thin Micron)

From That day it self I reduce the usage of Platic Bags/Cups/Plates in my Life. In my House we are banned Platic Bags.

For e.g. we are carrying Cotton Bag with us while going for Shopping/Market. We put all the items in Cotton Bags and short out in House.

Will all of this World come forwad to reduce the Usage of Platic/rubber/Thermocool etc in Day to Day Life

Answer 4

I'm not sure , they never waste or biodegrade.

Answer 5

I think it's the fact that we produce and use such a gigantic amount of plastic in containers and wrapping that ends up in landfills and in our environment.  It takes hundreds of years for some plastics to degrade so we are getting buried in it.  Hopefully with less petroleum available we will learn to use materials that are more earth friendly.  Plastics are very necessary for instance in the medical field.

Answer 6

Plastics contain a group of chemicals called Phthalates.  Phthalates 'leech' out of plastics into the environment.  They bind to and "poison" cellular receptors, thus, damaging your physiology.  Recent government tests show all humans tested have high, and increasing, levels of phthalates in their blood.

Best wishes.

Answer 7

A very good question that is debatable in some respects.

On the pollutant side: in third world countries in Africa for example such as Kenya, where waste management is informal and often 'in the street' waste plastic bags:

a) are considered the greatest killer of cattle. They eat the bags and get caught up in their stomachs inhibiting digestion of other food.

b) are responsible for most of the clogging of waste water and storm water channels.

On the debatable side:

Plastics are often considered harmful to the environment because it takes so long for them to break down. However, if they broke down quickly in the environment, they would be far more dangerous as would things like styrofoam if they broke down quickly. However, because plastics and styrofoam break down very slowly, they are often the products of choice for tree mulch (in the case of plastic) and soil conditioning agent (in the case of styrofoam).

So you asked a very thoughtful question that does not have a simple answer.

Answer 8

Like the middle east we need them or think we do