Dr. Sanjay Joshi

What begins as a carelessly discarded plastic bottle can travel thousands of kilometres across the oceans. As described in my article last week, Meir and Advay decided to trace the journey of a plastic bottle and a polythene bag that someone had carelessly thrown away. Curious to see where such discarded items eventually end up, the boys began keeping a close eye on them. Soon, something unexpected happened. While a group of boys nearby were playing football, one of them accidentally kicked...

What seems like a careless human can become a death sentence for wildlife. Dear Reader, in my last article, I had briefly described how cows ingest plastic while foraging for food in garbage and waste dumps — an action driven by hunger and human negligence in waste disposal. However, cows and bulls are not the only animals exposed to and attracted to discarded food packed in plastic bags or wrappers. We have not spared even wild animals. We visit forests, national parks and other protected...

Hazardous chemicals, depleted soil, and dying cattle reveal the true cost of plastic waste. In continuation of last week’s article, let us look more closely at what plastic waste is doing to our land and soil. When plastic waste remains on the soil surface for prolonged periods, it slowly releases hazardous chemicals such as phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA). These substances seep into the soil, disrupting its natural composition, weakening soil health, and gradually reducing fertility. What...