Plastic is a non-biodegradable substance, and Plastic Pollution is a danger to the Environment. It seems plastic waste has accumulated in the seas around Honduras to create an artificial island which is an environmental disaster because these can destroy the corals, fish etcetera.
Sky News reports that in the opinion of Leonardo Serrano, deputy mayor of the Honduran town of Omoa, the waste originates in neighboring Guatemala. The people dump the waste into the rivers, and these flow down to the sea. Over a period of time, they accumulate to create islands of trash while a portion remains on the beaches of Omoa.
Magnitude of the problem
Plastic has become an integral part of today’s lifestyle, and most of the products are packaged in plastic which have even invaded the food industry. Throwaway items like empty bottles, plastic spoons, knives, plates, cups and glasses that dot the surroundings are a common sight. They lead to plastic pollution and float down the waterways to ultimately form artificial islands that endanger the environment.
The magnitude of the problem has been highlighted by an underwater photographer who is a supporter of a coral reef conservation group. She lives in the vicinity and has taken photographs to show the huge mass of plastic waste.
It is difficult to establish the source of this unwanted material.
It could be from rivers on the mainland of both Honduras and Guatemala. In fact, they could have come from anywhere in Central America or the Caribbean. The worst part is that a portion of the microplastics might have been floating around for years.
The ill effects of plastics
According to the UN Environment Program, a huge volume of plastic waste in millions of tonnes, find their way into the sea.
While a portion of it settles to the seabed, a sizeable portion keeps circulating with the ocean currents, and a portion washes up on the beaches endangering the environment. The plastic pollution is responsible for the death of fish, turtles and other marine creatures because they mistake them for food and swallow them.
The Mayor of Omoa has indicated that the rubbish keeps piling up on the beaches faster than it can be removed which is straining the available resources.
Guatemala, has promised to install a rubbish handling plant which is expected to resolve the issue by containing the menace of plastics. However, no extent of such measures will help the cause. It is for man to realize the perils of plastics, and cultivate the habit of keeping his surroundings free from non-biodegradable substances that destroy the environment.
