Air pollution caused 10% of Albania's deaths, why should plastic bags be avoided

Albania, like any other city in the Balkans, is challenged by air pollution. One of the most serious problems that directly affect human health.

In the report on the costs of air pollution in people's health, the World Bank estimated that 2,257 people had lost their lives in Albania during 2019 as a result of external and domestic pollution. According to data, environmental pollution was responsible for 10 percent of total deaths in 2019. According to internal data from INSTAT, in 2019 21937 people lost their lives in our country. According to World Bank estimates, Albania had 83 deaths for 100,000 inhabitants from environmental pollution factors, a high value compared to developing countries, but it had this indicator lower than the countries in the region. Of the total deaths caused by pollution, 1532 were created by the outside environment and 724 from the interior environment.

One of the critical elements causing air pollution is the use of plastic bags. On a global level, we use 160,000 plastic bags every second!

This plastic when stored in land or elsewhere finds its way to our oceans by killing marine mammals that confuse it with food. This is just the tip of the plastic waste iceberg that is alarming environmentalists these days. What makes plastic so harmful to humans, animals, and plants and our environment is that it is not biodegradable. It only deteriorates after 700-1000 years. This means that all the plastic that has ever been produced has not yet been degraded.

In low - income countries, about 90% of waste ends up in landfills or are burned on open surfaces. Referring to data on waste content from around the world, researchers from Kings and Imperial College in London have estimated that the soot from burning waste releases 2% to 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions, which affects global warming. The burning of plastic waste in open fields is the main source of air pollution. About 12 percent of the city's solid waste level consists of plastic, and 40 percent of the world's waste is burned, according to a study “A summary of toxic waste waste waste waste”.

What causes plastic air pollution?

Plastic materials are everywhere. We use plastic bags, straws and plastic bottles for a very short time and then throw them away. However, they remain toxic forever.

The plastic is produced by toxic materials such as benzen and nyal hydrocled. They are destined to be toxic from birth to eternity. These chemicals are known to cause cancer, and their by - products contain our air and soil. PVC is the main source of dioxin.

Flowers are another toxic chemical added to plastic to make them softer and more flexible. This material affects fertility, disrupts endocrine gland function, causes birth defects, and other health problems. The problem with falatium is that it's not chemically connected to products, so it evaporates easily into the air. This new era <x0-plastic” is the scent of ftlate gases. Don't sniff it!

How can you help prevent plastic pollution

Council is stop plastic! Her recital doesn't solve anything. We just turn it from one toxic form to another. But until we find a new material to replace it, the best thing to do is reduce the use of plastic.

Use your bags when making purchases. Recycle all your plastic. Keep it off the ground and off the ocean.

It might seem like a little effort, but it's not. Together, we can drastically reduce our plastic waste. When there is less demand for plastic, there will also be a decrease in production. This is your consumer power! You can reduce demand.

We've created a world full of plastic in only 60 years. Despite technology and growing awareness, we can still turn it and prevent our children from inheriting a plastic world.

*Samel Crewe, environmental expert. This article joins awareness campaign on avoiding use of plastic bags, supported by U-backed NICEF and Ministry of Tourism and Environment