Assessing Health and Environmental Risks: Educational Awareness on Plastic Usage and Solid Waste Disposal in Bahawalpur

Abstract

The review paper explores the increasing challenges posed by plastic pollution and improper solid waste management in Bahawalpur. The population has continued to increase, and there is ever-increasing urbanization; this has contributed to the increase in plastic and solid waste production, such as the single use of plastic bags and bottles. These waste materials contribute to environmental degradation, affecting soil quality and contaminating water systems. Improper disposal contributes to public health challenges like respiratory and waterborne diseases and vector-borne ailments like malaria and dengue fever. A fully equipped waste management framework is needed to solve more problems in Bahawalpur; this leads to a filled drainage system, urban flooding, and the discharge of hazardous wastes. The review also explains the level of community health education used to ensure sustainable waste management practices are practiced. Hence, the paper encourages the involvement and expansion of community-based programs and public or private-founded collaboration to support and practice recycling and the appropriate management and minimization of single-use plastics. Smart solutions are also briefly touched upon as potential solutions, including implementing waste-to-energy plants and smart bins. Consequently, this review calls for enhanced stewardship, more specific to public sensitization against further pollution of Bahawalpur and other similar urban settings by plastic and solid waste.