According to UN Environment, every year the world uses up to 5 trillion plastic bags. Plastic pollution is a serious issue that have been lingering among society for so long. Surprisingly, most of the society aware on the impact of plastic usage to the environment and health. They are well informed that plastic are non-biodegradable and will not fully disintegrate.

According to a study in Science Magazine, Malaysia is the 8^th worst country worldwide for plastic waste. It is estimated that, Malaysia produced almost 1 million tonnes of mismanaged plastic waste in 2010 of which 014 to 0.37 million tonnes may have been washed to the oceans.

Malaysia seriously has a huge problem with plastic waste. We often see empty plastic cups, plastic straws, plastic lids, empty water bottle on the roadsides, seashore and dumpsites. Plastic waste is a serious environmental threat. It is composed of major toxic pollutants, it has the potential to cause great harm to the environment in the form of air, water and land pollution.

Plastic pollution will affect us in many ways. The burning of plastic waste could emits dioxin which are the most toxic to the human organisms. They are carcinogenic and a hormone disruptor and persistent, and they accumulate in our body-fat. Moreover, the plastic waste that are

dumped on the landfills will eventually seeps into underground waterways which polluted groundwater resources and river.

Plastic pollution has threatened marine and land animals. Plastic packaging and straws that have been washed out to the ocean and dump into landfills have always been a threat to marine life and land animals. The ubiquitous plastic bag is regularly eaten by numerous marine and land animals which lead to fatal consequences. According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, plastic debris kills an estimated 100,000 marine mammals, millions of birds and fishes annually.

There are many ways to beat the plastic pollution.

1. Reduce single – use of plastic in daily life especially straws and plastic wrap.
2. Use recycle shopping bag
3. Avoid products containing plastic microbeads by looking for “polythelene” and “polypropylene” on the ingredient labels of your cosmetic products.
4. Recycle the recyclable sine – use plastics.

In conjunction with World Environment Day 2018 themed Beat Plastic Pollution, it is advisable for us to reduce single-use of plastic and start practicing recycling. Every single plastic cause the death of one single animal.

Nur Imani binti Abdullah

Forum Air Malaysia