ANSWER BOOKLET

COURSE : Technical English 1

COURSE CODE : ZES1133
GROUP NO. :

No. Student’s Name Matric Number Status

1. AHMAD NAZMI BIN ZAKARIA 4222007801 Leader

2. NUR ANIS ADELIN BINTI 4222007871D Member

RIZALMANUDIN

3. LIM WEN HAN 4222002101 Member

4. EZZAM AIMAN BIN SHAREN 4222005921D Member

5 MOHAMMAD ALEEF SHARIZZRI BIN 4222001951D Member

MASJURAIZI

6 NORAHDIATULNADIAH BINTI AZIZ 4222006701 Member

ASSIGNMENT 1: PERSUASIVE SPEECH (WRITING)

TOTAL MARKS : 20 marks
TOTAL PERCENTAGE : 10%
DEADLINE OF SUBMISSION : 24/1/2023
(Please write your speech on page 2 (add extra pages if necessary)

Instructions:
1) This ANSWER BOOKLET should be submitted on E-learning
2) Save and convert the file to PDF before submitting it on E-learning
3) Only the group leader should submit the Answer Booklet for the group.

1
Specific Purpose:
To convince my audience that excessive use of plastic can have negative effects in many angles.

The harmful effects of using plastic and the need to reduce plastic usage

Introduction
I. Attention-getter : Stop watching and look around you; is there plastic all over you?
II. Central Idea : How often plastics are used.
III. Credibility : Stating facts about negative impacts of plastic usage based onreliable
articles, reports and journals
IV. Thesis Statement: Reducing the usage of plastic could improve the status of our human
health, communities and the environment in order to create a healthier
future.

Body
I. Environmental impact of plastic
a. Production of plastic has contributed to unpredictable climate change and global
warming (Shen, Huang & Chen, 2020) .
b. Production leads to more resource’s exploration.
i. Ethane and propane serve as the raw materials needed to make plastics.
ii. Natural gas, oil, or plants that have been refined.

II. Impact on communities

a. Communities in developing countries often lack the resources and infrastructure
to properly manage plastic waste (Gundogdu, Mihai & Markley, 2021)
i. Lack of access to proper waste collection systems, recycling facilities, and
landfill sites
b. Aesthetic effect of litter and plastic waste
i. found on streets, in parks, and on beaches, unpleasant view.
ii. May cause flooding and water pollution.

III. Affect human health

a. Microplastic debris releases harmful chemicals.
i. Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates into the water
b. BPA will disrupt human hormones. (Campanale, Massarelli & Savino 2020)
i. Reduce male and female fertility
ii. Exposure to phthalates can lower male testosterone levels
IV. Reason for the needs to change
a. We must take action to reduce our use of plastic.
b. Impact can be seen in newspapers, social media, television
c. Consumers, businesses, and government must take action.

V. First solution is to say no when plastic bag is offered.

a. Carry own plastic bag
b. Important role in our society in bringing about the use of our waste
i. 275 million metric tons of plastic waste generated in 192 countries.
(Jambeck, Geyer, & Wilcox, 2015)

VI. Second solution and benefit is to stop buying plastic bottles

a. Beverage bottles with their lids, biggest source of plastic waste in ocean.
i. more than 1 million plastic bottles are bought every minute around the
world (Parker, 2019)
b. Use alternatives that is more durable than plastic.
i. Will reduce usage of plastic bottle

Conclusion

Plastic pollution is a multifaceted problem that affects society and the environment in a myriad
of ways. Not only businesses are government should take in action in solving this problem, but it
is also time for us as consumers to change our plastic consuming behavior to reduce plastic
waste.
 The harmful effects of using plastic and the need to reduce plastic usage

Stop watching and look around you; is there plastic all over you? The packaging that
surrounds our food, to the containers we use to store leftovers, to the water bottles we carry with
us everywhere we go. A large percentage of plastic waste never reaches a recycling center or
even a landfill. This plastic, carried by waterways, water, and living things, has the possibility of
ending up in the sea.

Plastic waste is a major environmental crisis that is having a devastating impact on our
planet. According to Ritchie & Roser (2018) over 8 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans
every year, where it harms marine life and disrupts ecosystems. The majority of plastic waste
comes from a small number of sources, including single-use plastic items, plastic packaging, and
fishing gear. Plastic packaging is the largest contributor to plastic waste, accounting for around
42% of all plastic waste. Single-use plastics such as straws, bags, and water bottles make up
around 20% of plastic waste, and fishing gear makes up around 10%. Plastic debris can take
hundreds to thousands of years to degrade, meaning that every piece of plastic ever produced still
exists in some form today that will bring a negative impact to this planet. Therefore, reducing the
usage of plastic could improve the status of our human health, communities and the environment
in order to create a healthier future.

The environmental impact of plastic is one of the most pressing concerns. Sake (2012)
states that the production of plastic has contributed to unpredictable climate change and global
warming. Natural gas, oil, or plants that have been refined to produce ethane and propane serve
as the raw materials needed to make plastics. Since more resources are being explored due to the
production of plastic, more flora and fauna are going extinct and being destroyed. In the ocean,
for instance, wastewater of plastic production can carry pathogens, nutrients, pollutants, and
solids that can destroy marine life and cause coral bleaching.
 Plastic pollution has a significant impact on communities, particularly in developing
countries. Gundogdu, Mihai, & Markley (2021) stated that communities in developing countries
often lack the resources and infrastructure to properly manage plastic waste. This can include a
lack of access to proper waste collection systems, recycling facilities, and landfill sites. One of
the most immediate impacts of plastic pollution on communities is the aesthetic effect of litter
and plastic waste on the environment. Plastic waste can be found on streets, in parks, and on
beaches, creating an unsightly and unpleasant environment for residents. In addition, Malek
(2021) added that plastic waste can clog drainage systems, causing flooding and water pollution,
which can have serious health and economic consequences for communities.

Little do we know, plastic can affect human health despite being one of the most
widespread materials on the planet. We often see plastic scattered on the ground and on the
beach. As we know, plastic takes a long time to decompose. When it sits around long enough the
larger plastic will break down into smaller particles called Microplastics. Microplastic debris
releases harmful chemicals such as Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates into the water. Campanale,
Massarelli & Savino (2020) reported that these chemicals will disrupt human hormones.
Bisphenol can reduce male and female fertility while exposure to phthalates can lower male
testosterone levels. Microplastics are so small that they cannot be seen with our naked eyes and
they have been around us for centuries.

Given these issues, it is clear that we must take action to reduce our use of plastic. The
negative impact is already proven in some parts of our planet, we have seen it in newspapers,
social media and television. There are a few simple steps such as using reusable bags, water
bottles, and containers that we can do to make a big difference. In addition, individuals,
businesses, and governments can support recycling and composting programs, invest in research
and development of alternatives to plastic, and enact policies that reduce the use of single-use
plastics.

The easiest solution for reducing plastic pollution is saying no when someone offers you
plastic bags. Carrying your own bags is important for this solution because it reduces plastic bag
usage. We as individuals play an important role in our society in bringing about the use of our
waste. By saying no to plastic bags, we can reduce the harmful effect of plastic on the
environment and on ourselves. We calculate that 275 million metric tons (MT) of plastic waste
was generated in 192 coastal countries in 2010, with 4.8 to 12.7 million MT entering the ocean.
(Jambeck, Geyer, & Wilcox, 2015). With this alarming information, we cannot afford to sit and
do nothing. We must act now and fast to face this problem together with other people and
eliminate this plastic threat.

Moreover, Parker (2019) suggests that another solution to reduce plastic use is to stop
buying plastic bottles. The biggest source of plastic waste in the ocean is water and other
beverage bottles with their lids. Parker (2019) added that more than 1 million plastic bottles are
bought every minute around the world, and only a fraction are recycled. The alternative is
simple. Reusable stainless steel or glass bottles that can be used over and over again. Durable
and easy to clean, this water bottle can easily be kept in your bag, office, car or anywhere you
need a drink.

In conclusion, plastic pollution is a multifaceted problem that affects society and the
environment in a myriad of ways. Although businesses are most responsible for the production
of plastic waste, it is also time for us as consumers to change our plastic consuming behavior to
reduce plastic waste. We should also alert the government to participate by taking action to make
people aware of the dangers of using plastic in order to create a cleaner and healthier future for
ourselves and the planet.
References

LI, W. C., Tse, H. F., & Fok, L. (2016). Plastic waste in the marine environment: A review of sources,
occurrence and effects. Science of the total environment

Faraca, G., & Astrup, T. (2019). Plastic waste from recycling centres: Characterisation and evaluation of
plastic recyclability. Waste Management

Manzoor, J., Sharma, M., Sofi, I. R., & Dar, A. A. (2020). Plastic waste environmental and human health
impacts. In Handbook of Research on Environmental and Human Health Impacts of Plastic Pollution (pp.
29-37). IGI global.

Jambeck, J. R., Geyer, R., & Wilcox, C. (2015). Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Retrieved
from Science: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.12

Parker, L. (2019, August 24). Environment. Retrieved from National Geographic:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/plastic-bottles

Ritchie, H., & Roser, M. (2018). Plastic pollution. Our World in Data.

Campanale, C., Massarelli, C., Savino, I., Locaputo, V., & Uricchio, V. F. (2020). A detailed review study
on potential effects of microplastics and additives of concern on human health. International journal of
environmental research and public health, 17(4), 1212.

Malek, R. A. (2021, April 17). Nation. 10,000 tonnes of food, plastic waste thrown away daily. New Straits
Times.

Gundogdu, S., Mihai, F., & Markley, L. (2021, December 21). Plastic Pollution, Waste Management
Issues, and Circular Economy Opportunities in Rural Communities. Sustainability.

Shen, M., Huang, W., Chen, M., Song, B., Zeng, G., & Zhang, Y. (2020). (Micro) plastic crisis:
un-ignorable contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Journal of Cleaner
Production, 254, 120138.