CBSE Class 10 Science 2018 · Paper 31/1/C · Question 14

(a) Polythene and plastics are non-biodegradable: decomposers (bacteria and fungi) cannot break them down, so they persist in the environment for a very long time and keep piling up. They choke drains and sewers, pollute soil and water, and animals such as cows that swallow polythene bags may die. Burning them releases poisonous gases that pollute the air and harm health. So their use should be reduced. (b) The students could have carried books in cloth or jute bags, brought lunch and water in steel or glass tiffins and bottles, covered books with paper or cloth, used reusable or paper cups and plates instead of plastic ones in the canteen and at school functions, and decorated the school for functions with paper, cloth and flowers instead of plastic and thermocol. Any other practical substitute also earns credit. (c) They could have motivated one another through a pledge and talks in the morning assembly, posters and slogans, rallies and skits, an eco-club, making cloth bags from old clothes and distributing them, and appreciating or rewarding the classes that remained plastic free; they could also carry the message to their families and neighbours.