9 Things That Cause Massive Harm To The Environment

With the increasing pressure on the environment (due to our reckless behavior) it is high time to think about the future. 

Sustainable use of resources has become the need of the hour. But do you know that there are so many wasteful designs in the world that cause such severe impacts on the environment? 

We discuss 9 things that affect the environment in a bad way:

#1. Plastic Water Bottles

(Image Courtesy: DW)

The water bottles (that we easily crush and dispose of) are made up of large quantities of fuel. To be precise, each bottle is made up of one-fourth of the bottle’s volume. Just imagine how much fuel we have already wasted!

#2. Disposable Coffee Cups

(Image Courtesy: Metro)

These types of coffee cups are made by cutting off trees. It is estimated that 6.5 million trees are sacrificed every year to produce these cups. Is it worth it?

#3. Airplane Boarding Passes

(Image Courtesy: Business Insider)

It’s hard to swallow, but we have not thought of sustainable development since a long time. For instance, how much value does a boarding pass have after being used? Nothing, but, there are around 270,000 trees cut down just for them. Perhaps going digital would be our best bet in the future.

#4. Fireworks

(Image Courtesy: BBC)

This is a big issue, especially in India, where people celebrate an entire festival courtesy of these firecrackers! These crackers produce an enormous amount of smoke and cause massive pollution every year. It is believed that nearly 5,000 trees would be needed to neutralize the effect of these firecrackers. Moreover, fireworks are also responsible for causing many airborne diseases. Do you think that this momentary pleasure of one day is more important than our health?

#5. ATM Transaction Receipt

(Image Courtesy: Pinterest)

All of us get instant messages about the transactions we make from ATMs. However, we still press yes when prompted to get a printed receipt for our transaction. If we cut down on this, we can nearly save 15% of the trees in the world. Now, that would be some saving!

#6. Plastic Shopping Bag

(Image Courtesy: Earth Policy Institute)

Well, we all know how dangerous polyethylene bags are for our surroundings, and yet, we mercilessly keep on using them every day. In case you didn't know, a plastic bag nearly takes ten centuries to decompose, and till then, it is just a po0llutant for the environment. Needless to say that animals end up eating these bags out of the garbage which is again, extremely harmful.

#7. Packaged Items

(Image Courtesy: Center for food safety)

Packaged goods might look great. However, they pose a huge threat to our environment. Most of the packaging is done with plastics, and we already discussed how dangerous that is for nature. 

#8. Batteries

(Image Courtesy: CMA Eco cycle)

Old batteries are a solid waste that pollutes soil, water, and air. Made up of metal these household and industrial batteries contaminate everything possible. Metals tend to vaporize on being heated thus, pollute the air. They contaminate water by mixing mercury, lead, and acid.

#9. Automobile Racing

(Image Courtesy: The Guardian)

While it is a lucrative sport for many people, its ill effects on the environment are rarely talked about. F1 cars emit several hazardous gases into the sky, and these can accumulate to tinker with the ozone layer.

It’s high time that we start thinking about the environment and the future (you don’t want your children to face severe impacts of pollution). So start practicing environment-friendly deeds from today only. Share with us in the comments below how you help in protecting the environment.