Essay Sample on Environmental Effects of the Disposable Water Bottle Life Cycle

Nature utilizes the carbon cycle as a means of recycling matter. The carbon cycle entails the cycling of the carbon elements through the atmosphere. Carbon forms the core of all systems within the biosphere ("The carbon cycle", 2019). The element acts as the earth's thermostat and also plays the role of facilitating photosynthesis in plants. For the ecosystem to function accurately, all elements of the biosphere require an adequate supply of carbon ("The carbon cycle", 2019). Nature excels in carbon cycling which ensures that carbon is supplied efficiently.

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The nitrogen cycle on the other hand helps in the development of plants. Nitrogen is the most dominant element in the air accounting for 78% of the total air volume ("The phosphorus cycle", 2019). Plants often synthesize the Nitrogen (N2) gas in the ait to form ammonia which is then utilized by plants ("The phosphorus cycle", 2019). Human activity releases the Nitrogen gas into the air through the use of fossil fuels and nitrogen-containing fertilizers.

The water cycle involves the state changes of water within the ecosystem. The main driver of water cycle is the sun whereby it warms the ocean surface moving water to the atmosphere in the form of water vapor ("The water cycle", 2019). The water vapor condenses and rains on land creating a water cycle.

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient found in the DNA of every living organism. In nature, phosphorus is limited in supply. Phosphates usually come from sedimentary rocks ("The nitrogen cycle", 2019). The phosphate compounds can be leached into the soil ant taken by plants and other marine organisms ("The nitrogen cycle", 2019).

Impact of humans on biodiversity

Biodiversity is a term used to describe the life existing on earth and how they interact with one another. Biodiversity plays a vital role in the daily existence of humans. Without biodiversity, humans would not exist on earth. Biodiversity provides humans with air, food, energy, water, medicine, and climate control. Studies show that the direct or indirect actions from humans over the years have contributed to the decrease in biodiversity ("Human impact on ecosystems review", 2019). Some of the indirect human drivers include religious, demographic, scientific and technological, cultural and socio-political, and economic factors. Other direct human factors include excessive land use, which results in the degradation of land cover ("Human impact on ecosystems review", 2019). Also, introductions of new species and even removals tend to impact on biodiversity. Water pollution and climate change also have an impact on biodiversity.

Impact of the plastic bottle Life cycle

The manufacture of water bottles uses polyethylene terephthalate (PET) derived from petroleum (Plastic Bottle Manufacturing, 2019). The production and transportation of this product require a considerable amount of fossil fuels. Another flaw is the fact that the production of the water bottle requires three times more water to produce a single bottle (Disposable Water Bottles and the Hydrological & Carbon Cycle, 2019). The large volume of water becomes unusable and wasted because it gets exposed to chemicals during the manufacturing process.

Estimates indicate that there are over 40,000 plastic wastes per square mile float in the ocean (Plastic Statistics, 2019). This plastic kills animals, filters chemicals, and alters ecosystems. Also, in the United States, 60 million plastic bottles are thrown out each day with 80% of these ending up in landfills (Plastic Statistics, 2019). Plastic bottles take over 1,000 years to decompose. The toxic chemicals that form the plastic bottle leach into the soil and water systems. The result is increased cases of reproductive diseases and also cancers.

Intervention measures

To reduce the impact of plastic bottles on biodiversity, some of the means to be implemented include the development of campaigns aimed at educating the masses on the effects of plastic bottles (Union, 2019). Another strategy that would ensure the regulation of plastic bottles would be banning plastic bottles from use in consumer products. Currently, manufacturers rely on plastic bottles in their manufacturing lines. Facilitating research for alternatives will ensure the reduction of plastic bottles among water bottlers. Another strategy is the creation of more recycling plants that will ensure all plastic bottles get recycled into other materials that can get used again.

Analysis

Introducing campaigns to the masses can have an array of benefits. One of them is that it will encourage people to recycle plastic bottles rather than throw them away. The only challenge that may come from implementing campaign is finding the resources to facilitate these campaigns. Campaigns require capital to deal with advertisements and facilitate mass rallies. It can be a challenge for acquiring these resources.

Regulation of plastic bottles helps in ensuring that there are no massive outputs of plastic bottles to the public. The result will be reduced plastic bottle waste. The implication, however, is that companies will suffer lower revenues as a result of poor sales from their products. Research on alternatives can be a significant long-term solution by providing biodegradable materials. However, research takes long periods and resources.

Establishing recycling plants is one of the best solutions as it ensures that plastic bottles get recycled into other usable products. Recycled water bottles can easily be turned into other products such as t-shirts, carpets, and even more bottles. The recycling solution ensures fewer bottles are developed for use in factories.

References

Disposable Water Bottles and the Hydrological & Carbon Cycle. (2019). Retrieved from http://prezi.com/u9qhbs8w3byg/disposable-water-bottles-and-the-hydrological-carbon-cycle/

Human impact on ecosystems review. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-ecology/hs-human-impact-on-ecosystems/a/hs-human-impact-on-ecosystems-review

Plastic Bottle Manufacturing. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/materials-handling/plastic-bottle-manufacturing/Plastic Statistics. (2019). Retrieved from http://oceancrusaders.org/plastic-crusades/plastic-statistics/

The phosphorus cycle. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/biogeochemical-cycles/a/the-phosphorous-cycle

The carbon cycle. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/biogeochemical-cycles/a/the-carbon-cycle

The water cycle. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/biogeochemical-cycles/a/the-water-cycle

The nitrogen cycle. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/biogeochemical-cycles/a/the-nitrogen-cycle

Union, E. (2019). Persuading the public to reduce bottled water consumption. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/persuading_the_public_to_reduce_bottled_water_consumption_425na7_en.pdf