DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2016.v04i06.007

Pages: 488-497

The survey was done to analyze the usage of plastic among the teenagers of Alappuzha town. College and school students as well as some of their neighbours were selected as the sample population. The sample population belonged to three age groups i.e. 15 -17, 19-21 and 40-50, majority being teenagers i.e. the first two groups, comprising 91% of the total population. It is evident from the survey that without stringent control measures/ban from the side of government, the unhealthy usage of plastic as well as the pollution of environment by plastic waste would increase alarmingly. Though 73.5% of the surveyed subjects are of the opinion that plastic should be completely banned and 77% say they are ready to be involved in an initiative against plastic pollution, 92% disagree to carry a plastic bag in hand to shop so that it could be reused to maximum, 37% still prefer to use plastic carry bags instead of cloth/paper bags, 42% has adopted burning as a method of disposing plastic carry bags, 14% use more than six plastic carry bags each day, and 75% carry drinking water in plastic bottles. 51% of the people had never heard about Bisphenol A, a chemical that leaks from plastic. Survey shows that awareness given though education is not enough to equip students to take deterrent actions that favour the conservation of the environment instead of favouring ones comfort and convenience.