Plastic has been polluting our ecosystem for some time now and within a few decades, our oceans and land
masses are full of it. This problem has been aggravated by the fact that plastics are virtually unable to
decompose and that recycling them costs a lot more than simply manufacturing a new one. Plastic is a
byproduct of crude oil and has been immensely beneficial to humankind since its inception.
Some of the few benefits of plastics are mentioned below-
* Plastic is sterile, that is it doesn’t react much to other substances. Acid is an exception but there are
specially formulated plastics that can withstand the toughest of acids.
* Manufacturing plastic is cheap and effective; as is evident by its overwhelming quantity on the face
of the earth.
* It can be molded into any shape and size necessary; it is used in laptops, for making medical
equipment, mobile phones, cars, hygiene products, bottles, furniture the list is endless.
* Plastic is cheap to manufacture, modern production line methods have rendered the manufacturing
of plastic extremely easy and profitable for companies.
But everything has its benefits and disadvantages and plastic is no exception to that rule-
* Plastic cannot degrade; it breaks up into smaller particles which are called microplastics that further
pollute our oceans, more so than regular plastics.
* The action of sun and the natural weathering of plastics break it up into micrometer or smaller sizes
that travel through the ecosystem biomagnifying in great quantities in aquatic life. The sad fact is
that these further end up in the human body through fishes and other aquatic animals that man
consumes for food.
* It causes flash floods in cities where plastics accumulate and clog the drainage systems thereby
harming life and property alike.
* Animals, both aquatic and land-based consume plastics thinking to be food and eventually die as
their bodies cannot process the same.
It is our duty to look after our environment and save it from being engulfed by plastic waste. A simple yet
effective solution is to abandon the usage of single-use plastics. Plastic bags that are available in the
markets and groceries are single use and we often throw them away after only using them once.
A cotton grocery bag can help alleviate the worsening situation in a number of ways-
* Cotton grocery bags are made from naturally occurring materials and a cotton grocery bag in
addition to capable of being used multiple times will naturally decompose thereby not polluting the
earth.
* Cotton grocery bags are durable and are not prone to wear and tear, this facilitates their multiple
reusabilities.
* Using cotton grocery bags will cull the demand for single-use plastics thereby reducing the stress
on our environment.

* New ideas and production methods need to be invented and subsequently popularized so that cotton
grocery bags become cheap to manufacture. This would also prompt the general public to adopt it as
it would be readily available in the market.
Hence, to conclude, it is impossible to deny plastics altogether as humankind would then come to a
screeching halt. But it is possible to slow down and ultimately stop single-use of plastics and replace it with
alternatives such as cotton grocery bags that help reduce pollution and keep our environment pristine as it
should be.